Forever Young
by Xsummergirl4235X
Summary: Sup, losers? Jack Spicer here! You want a summary? Well guess what: I'm not telling you diddly-squat! You're just gonna have to read and find out yourselves, because my lips are sealed, baby!
1. Chapter 1

The sun blazed in the sky, something that hadn't happened in what seemed like an eternity; ten thousand years of darkness had even been a consideration at one point.

Three years had passed since the Xiaolin monks' greatest victory, and more importantly, the choosing of their leader. Everyone had aged significantly-even Omi, who had grown quite a few inches since the incident. All was well for the Xiaolin monks...for the most part, that is.

There was one monk who was feeling, in terms that he would put it...below the storm clouds.

"Omi, are you okay?"

Everyone stopped and turned to look at Omi as Kimiko spoke. "Come on, cheer up. Look, the sun's finally out!"

"Yeah, perk up, little dude; no more ten thousand years of darkness!" Raimundo began imitating his own version of a salsa dance, but his dancing slowed to a halt when all he received was an unamused stare from Omi. "_Ai, caramba! _You'd think at least _that _would be something to smile about..."

Omi merely sighed at the hopeless efforts of his friends and remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed somewhere off in the distance.

"You alright partner? You seem more down than my Uncle Stan in a mud wrestling match."  
"It is nothing. Now please leave me alone." The young monk stood and walked into the temple with his head lowered. _I feel most bad for hurdling them under a moving yellow vehicle like this, but I have no choice. If I told them...they would never look at me as the same Omi ever again._

Inside the temple, Master Fung sat at a small table holding a fancy cup filled with tea. "Is everything alright, young monk?"  
"Yes..." he lied, "I just...need a nap. That is all."

Suddenly, Dojo slithered out of nowhere, presumably from underneath the table cloth, causing Master Fung to jump and spill his tea all over Omi. "We got a new Shen Gong Wu alert! Hurry up and tell the others!"

Omi sighed, now dripping with tea, and walked out of the temple to where his friends were training.

Dojo stroked his beard. "What's eatin' him?"  
"I'm not sure, Dojo. But whatever it is, it must be quite serious; Omi never gets like this."  
The dragon and the old master exchanged worried glances.

Omi regained his composure and cleared his throat. "Friends! I have a most important announcement!"  
All of the monks stopped what they were doing and immediately turned to Omi.

"Uh...heheh...Dojo...?"  
"Guess that's my cue," Dojo hopped off of Master Fung's lap and slithered out to the training field. "Get this, guys: a new Shen Gong Wu has revealed itself, and it's a big one!"  
Raimundo scoffed. "Tch, yeah, like we haven't heard that before," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Anyways," Dojo ignored Raimundo's remark and pulled out a scroll, "This one's called the Deep Dark Monarch," The scroll opened to show a figure holding what appeared to be a monarch butterfly in the palm of his hands.

"What's it do?"

The monks leaned over the scroll curiously.

"This Shen Gong Wu," Dojo continued, "has the power to force its victim to spill their innermost secrets against their will."

The figure on the scroll held up the butterfly, and it began flapping its wings rapidly, causing a sparkly dust to be emitted from it and surround the other figure. The second figure fell to his knees as giant speech bubbles began to emerge from his mouth, just as Dojo closed the scroll. "Pretty useful in battle if your enemy is planning something big."

"Oooh!" Omi's eyes lit up, "That sounds most intriguing! We must get to it before Jack Spicer does!"

"Yeah," Kimiko added, "I can't even imagine what would happen if it fell into _Jack's _hands."  
The monks shuddered.

"Well, we should probably get moving. Hop on!" Dojo grew significantly larger, allowing the monks to climb onto his back, and he flew off into the distance.

Omi stared off into space, his eyes fixated on the colorful sunrise, with someone in particular occupying his thoughts.

"Yo, Omi, snap out of it," Raimundo said, waving his hands in Omi's face intrusively, "we're here."

"Huh?" Omi suddenly snapped out of his daze, a light blush tinting his cheeks. "Oh, yes. Of course!" Omi flashed a huge grin, trying with his best efforts to conceal his inner struggles.

The monks hopped off their dragon and began their journey up the endless hill that was stretched out in front of them.

"Look!" Kimiko cried, pointing at the object that sat atop a huge rock at the top of the hill. "The Deep Dark Monarch!"

"That was too easy," Raimundo sneered, joining the other monks as they all ran up the hill.

Omi, being the smallest and the most agile of the monks, reached the top first. "I've got this, my friends!" A grin spread across Omi's face as he reached his hands out to grab the butterfly Shen Gong Wu, only to be cut short by a sudden flash of a blade. "Huh?" Omi glanced around, puzzled to see nothing, when suddenly, the sky turned into an ambush of flying blades. "Yaagh!" Omi jumped and retreated down the hill.

"Sup, Xiaolin losers?"

"Well I'll be," Clay said, scrunching up his face, "it's that no good yellow bellied snake-"  
"Jack Spicer!" Omi spat, "Step away from the Deep Dark Monarch, or we will be forced to send you picking!"

"You mean send him packing?" Raimundo stated dryly.

"Packing?" Omi turned to Raimundo with a puzzled look on his face. "I did not know he was going on vacation..."

"As tempting as that sounds...I think I'll stay," Jack replied with a sly grin. "Jack bots, attack!"

The Xiaolin warriors began fighting off each of Jack's robots one by one, unaware of the fact that he was just inches away from grabbing the wu. Omi was the first to notice this and gasped, flinging one of the robots off into the distance and leaping over to the rock that held the Shen Gong Wu. He stretched his arms out in front of him, desperately trying to grab hold of the wu, while at the same time, Jack Spicer reached out as well, and...

"Omi, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!"  
"Very well. My Tangle Web Comb for your Mind Reader Conch."

"Then it's settled. Let's play the silent game. First to make a peep loses."  
"Oh, that will prove to be a most difficult task for you, Jack Spicer!" Omi said chuckling.

"Whatever. You're on!"

"Let's go!" they both chanted, "Xiaolin Sho-huh?!"  
The monk and the boy genius both stopped short as another figure lept down from the sky and placed his hand on the wu, causing it to glow with an even brighter radiance. "Mind if I join you?"

Omi froze.


	2. Chapter 2

Omi froze in disbelief. "Chase Young...?" he choked out, blushing slightly.

Chase sneered. "Normally, I'm not into this whole Shen Gong Wu nonsense, but this one proved most promising, and I simply could not let it fall into the wrong hands."

"How...did you find out about it?"  
"Easy. I had a little help from an old friend." Chase motioned his hand behind him as a familiar purple ghost flew in.

"Hi!" she chirped.

"Can we just start this thing already?" Jack whined, growing impatient, "I wanna use the Deep Dark Monarch on miss hothead over there, so I can find out once and for all how she really feels about me!" Jack looked over at Kimiko slyly.

"Ugh..." Kimiko grimaced, "You can do it, Omi!"  
"We believe in you, partner!"

Omi beamed. "Alright, let's go! Xiaolin Showdown!"

A series of lightning flashes lit up the sky, and slowly the color was drained from their surroundings, leaving everything in black and white.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" the three shouted together, and with that, the showdown began.

No one said a word. Omi looked around, blinking rapidly. _This showdown is most different than anything I have ever faced. I will have to go about this carefully and strategically._

Straightaway, Jack began to panic. _Errgh...crud! What was I thinking?! I don't like this! I wanna go home!_

Chase Young crossed his arms, observing the behavior of the other two. _Ten seconds in and Spicer already looks as if he's ready to crack. Typical. Perhaps I should go after him first._

_Just hang in there, Omi. You are most strong, you can do this._

_Aaagh! I can't do this! Why me?!_

_I wonder how young Omi is doing..._

"You call THIS a showdown?" Raimundo groaned. "Ugh...they're just standing there staring at each other!"

"Shh! Rai, don't distract them!" Kimiko mumbled sternly, causing Raimundo to sulk in defeat.

Meanwhile, Jack observed the seemingly calm expressions of the other two warriors, holding back a sigh. _Look at them! Man, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. _Suddenly, Jack's head perked up. _Hey! I still have the Mind Reader Conch! Maybe I can use it to my advantage. _Jack held the conch up to his ear and focused in on Omi. _Now, let's see how the cheese ball's really holding up..._

The young monk sat there with a stern look on his face. _I must win this showdown. I MUST! Otherwise, my deepest, darkest secret will be revealed, and I cannot let that happen!_

_Hmm...I wonder what his 'deep, dark secret' could be... _Jack pondered, inwardly chuckling to himself. _Now I HAVE to make sure he loses!_

Omi sat with his legs crossed on the ground and began contemplating strategies. _I wonder if Jack Spicer is ticklish. I shall find out! It would prove a most effective tactic in getting him to surrender._

Jack scowled. _Oh, so he wants to play dirty, huh? Well, if it's a fight he wants, then that's what I'm gonna give him._

Jack's face spread into a demonic grin as he crept closer to Omi, who was too focused on coming up with a strategy to notice the shadow looming over him. _Too easy..._

Omi looked up, obviously sensing someone's presence, and Jack had to clamp both hands over his mouth to keep his chortling laughter from spilling out. After a long hesitation, he reached out and snaked his arms around Omi's waist, causing the monk to nearly jump out of his skin.

Omi's eyes shot wide open, and he had to clench all of his muscles tight to keep from making a sound. _What is this? Who could possibly have such a tight grip on me? Aggh! _Omi began freaking out and attempting to free himself, whensuddenly, he froze, and his cheeks became stained with a dark blush. He gulped. _Chase Young...?_

_Wrong, baby! _Jack wanted to blurt out, but instead he just sat there, his grin growing larger by the second.

Omi continued to struggle, but to no prevail. He could not get free...nor did he want to. He craned his neck hesitantly, only to be put into a state of shock and utter disappointment to see that it was not Chase who was holding him, but...

_Jack Spicer! _Omi immediately snapped out of his dreamlike state and hopped onto his feet, preparing to strike.

Jack stood there, unsure of what to do. _Huh, maybe I should have thought this through a little better..._

Jack let out a girlish shriek as Omi pounced on him and began beating the living daylights out of him. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! YOU WIN! I SURRENDER! Just PLEASE get off of me!" Jack whimpered, and Omi finally released him with a huge smirk on his face.

The young monk stood in triumph as Jack flung the Mind Reader Conch onto the ground and ran to hide behind the other monks. _Who knew it would be so easy?_

Chase watched all of this in amusement. _So, Spicer is down for the count, and I didn't even have to lift a finger. Now, all that's left is young Omi. _Chase grinned maliciously, glancing over at the young monk. _And I believe I know what his weakness is._

Several hours passed, and not a sound was made, with the exception of the occasional side comments from the spectators.

_Chase Young is a most worthy opponent. How will I ever defeat him? _Omi squinted his eyes. _Ah! That's right, I still have my Shen Gong Wu! Now, if I can just sneak up on him..._

Omi waited until he was out of Chase's line of sight and pulled out his Tangle Web Comb. _Here it goes! _"...!" Omi took a deep breath and opened his mouth, only to snap it shut again. _Darn it...how am I supposed to use this thing if I can't yell out its name?_

The monks observed this and looked at each other with worried glances.

"This is bad, you guys," Kimiko watched in terror as Omi stood there, completely dumbfounded. "He can't use his Shen Gong Wu without speaking!"

"This is real bad..." Clay said, restating the obvious.

"Hang on!" Dojo cried as he slithered in with the rule book in his hands. "It's not over yet, guys! There might be a way around this..." Dojo began flipping through pages endlessly, stopping somewhere in the middle of the book. "Ah yes, here we go! Activating the Shen Gong Wu: in order to activate your Shen Gong Wu, it's name must be called out by the user, otherwise it will not work-guhh...umm..."  
The monks all stared down at Dojo with priceless expressions.

"Um, well..." Dojo began to sweat, "Ah, maybe if he thinks _real hard, _then _maybe _it just might work."

Kimiko sighed, falling into the grass.

_Perhaps Dojo is right. Maybe if I think really REALLY hard, then I can activate the Tangle Web Comb using only my thoughts. Let's see, Tangle Web Comb...please work?_

Jack began laughing maniacally at Omi's expense. "Hahaha! Guess you just couldn't pull through this time...you big loser! Ahahaha! Hahaha...?" Jack's laughter was cut short as the Tangle Web Comb suddenly lit up and began shooting its powerful webs out. "Hah..."

"Well," Dojo blinked in surprise, "whadda you know?"

Of course, Chase Young was no amateur. He could sense the webs coming at him from yards away, but he chose to remain perfectly still; he wanted to catch Omi by surprise.

_Foolish monk. Has he not even considered the fact that I have my own special weapon as well?_

Chase waited until the webs were just inches from his backside, and at the very last second, he turned swiftly over his shoulder and whipped out his Shen Gong Wu. Omi had little time to react before he was suddenly entangled in his own webs. _He used his reversing mirror! How did I not think of that? _The monk began to panic as he saw the other warrior slowly approaching him, squirming around in an attempt to free himself. _How do you get out of these things?!_

Chase's shadow hovered over Omi, but much to the monk's surprise, he passed right by him and kept walking.

_What is this? Does he...not wish to hurt me? _

"What's he doing?" Kimiko blinked in confusion.

Everyone stood in an eery silence as Chase ignored the struggling monk and continued walking. Clay finally spoke up. "Uh, guys, I reckon he's comin' towards _us_..."

Everyone, including Jack, jumped at the sudden revelation.

"I-I don't think this was in the rules..." Dojo stuttered, immediately going into full panic mode.

_What is he up to? Why is he suddenly approaching my friends...and Jack...like this?_

Chase came to a halt, face to face with the Xiaolin monks and Jack. He didn't need words; the grin on his face was enough to spell the end of it all.

Everyone assumed their fighting stances, save for the dragon and the boy genius.

"HOLD ME!" Dojo cried in terror, and Jack let out a startled scream as the dragon suddenly pounced on him and constricted him with his tight grip.

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "We can take him, no problem!"

_No! _Omi's eyes shot wide open as he continued to squirm helpessly. _No, you cannot take him! He is much too powerful! Why can't you just see?_

Omi tried everything to get their attention, but the ground between him and his fellow monks seemed to stretch out for miles on end. He rolled over, sighing in defeat.

He wanted desperately to help them, but doing so would result in him throwing the challenge and handing victory over to Chase Young, who would then force him to spill his secret in front of everyone.

But which was more important?

Omi watched in horror as his friends, and eventually Jack, went down one by one at the hands of Chase. He was tired of feeling helpless; he knew what he had to do, even if it would cost him dearly. He took in a deep breath, preparing for the worst...

"NO! Stop this, _PLEASE_!"

At that moment, a strong bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, and the color slowly flooded back into the environment until everything was back to its original state.

Chase brought his violence to a halt, landing firmly on his feet and glancing over his shoulder at the young monk, who by the look on his face was clearly beginning to regret his decision already.

"Well, well, well..." Chase began a slow stride over to Omi, inciting a great deal of fear in him, "Look who finally cracked."

"Yes, it appears I have lost..." Omi lowered his head in shame.

"Yes. And that means..." Chase walked over to the rock that held the Shen Gong Wu and picked it up, "...the Deep Dark Monarch is mine."  
"What about the other Shen Gong Wu?"

"I have no interest in those," Chase stated bluntly. "All that matters to me is getting the information that I need."

"OOOH!" Jack suddenly lept to his feet, ignoring the shooting pain of his injuries, and situated himself between the two warriors. "I'll bet he's hiding something," he gestured towards Omi with his thumb, grinning madly, "Maybe you should try it on him first! Heh? _Heh?_ Whadda you say?"  
"Hmm..." Chase pondered the idea, a smirk slowly making its way across his face. "An excellent idea, Spicer."

Jack squealed at the compliment, the wobbling in his legs making it nearly impossible to stand. "You hear that? Chase Young likes my ideas..."

"Don't think too highly of yourself, worm; you're still a nuisance, as always." Chase ignored the swooning Jack and fixated his eyes on Omi. "Now..."

Omi gulped.

Chase sneered, pulling out his newly attained Shen Gong Wu and extending his arms out in front of him. "Deep Dark Monarch!"

"NOOO!"

Omi cried out in desperation, but it was too late.

Everything after that was a blur.


	3. Chapter 3

"Deep Dark Monarch!"

"NO!"

"Guys, we have to do something!" Kimiko cried, growling in rage as the other two monks stood there with blank expressions on their faces. "Rrgh...fine!" Kimiko hurdled herself through the air and landed between Omi and the Deep Dark Monarch, just in time for her to be consumed by its power.

Omi stood with his eyes squeezed shut, anticipating the worst, but when nothing came out of his mouth, he began to wonder if it had already happened, and that he had went into some sort of trance during the whole ordeal. He carefully opened an eye, blinking in surprise when he saw Kimiko hovering in front of him, surrounded by a cloud of sparkling dust. "Kimiko?"

Kimiko chuckled. "You know, even though he's _really_ obnoxious... I've always found Jack sort of cute, in a messed up sorta way."

The monks gasped.

"Wha-" Kimiko clamped a hand over her mouth, "Did I just..." her eyes widened at the sudden realization, and she let out a horrified scream.

Jack finally snapped out of his state of shock, grinning madly; sure, he didn't get to find out what Omi's big secret was, but what he got was even better. "Oh yeah! Totally worth it, baby!"

"Kim!" Raimundo ran out onto the battlefield. "What'd you do that for?!"

"Omi's obviously hiding valuable information that he doesn't want Chase to know, and if he finds out, who knows what could happen?"

_Oh no. _Omi shook his head remorsefully. _No, no! They've got it all wrong!_

Chase growled in frustration. "This time I've got you...Deep Dark Monarch!"

Raimundo frantically began scanning his surroundings, trying to find a way to help Omi, when suddenly, his eyes landed on Jack. "Tch, oh well..." Raimundo shrugged, shoving Jack in the way of the Deep Dark Monarch's rays.

"Wha-hey!" Jack flinched as the rays hit him, and his eyes suddenly went wide. "The only girl I've ever kissed was one of my robots..." Jack twitched. "And she was CHEATING on me too...with another one of my robots!"

Everyone stared at Jack uncomfortably.

Raimundo snorted. "Nice pick, Kim."

"Shut it, Rai!"

"Whoa..." Clay said, adjusting his hat, "Did NOT need to know that."

"Indeed," Omi chuckled. "That is _most _humiliating!"

"Try _disturbing, _partner."

"That too!"

While everyone was distracted, Chase focused the Deep Dark Monarch on Omi and prepared to strike again.

"Omi!" Kimiko cried, "Look out!"

"Huh...?" Omi turned over his shoulder to see the Deep Dark Monarch's rays coming straight at him. "Aagh!" Omi ducked at the last second, causing the rays to pass right over him and hit Clay.

"You know, I've always wondered what cow manure tasted like..." Clay shrugged his shoulders. "Daw, now that's just embarassing!"

"Uhh...ew?" Kimiko said, grimacing.

"Don't worry, Omi, I got you covered..." Raimundo stepped in front of Omi protectively.

"Raimundo...!" Omi tried to protest, but Raimundo simply ignored him.

"Hey, lizard dude, if you wanna mess with Omsters here, then you're gonna have to go through me first!"

Chase's frustration subsided a bit as an amused grin spread across his face. "Very well...as you wish. Deep Dark Monarch!"

Raimundo stretched his arms out in front of Omi, allowing himself to be absorbed in the rays. _Oh man, what was I thinking?_

Kimiko smirked. "I wonder what Rai's big secret is."

"Well, wouldn't YOU like to-I can't go to sleep at night without my teddy bear..." Raimundo felt a blush rising on his cheeks as he slid away from the battlefield inconspicously. "You're on you're own, little dude."

Omi froze. _That's it. There's no one left. Everyone has shared their most humiliating secrets, and now Chase has no one to target but me. Ooh...I am a seated duck!_

"Time to see what you're hiding, young monk. Deep Dark Monarch!" Chase grinned deviously; there was no way he could miss that time. He watched intently, his eyes gleaming in anticipation, only to be caught off guard by a sudden flash of green. "What the-?"

Omi opened his eyes, puzzled by what he saw. "Dojo...?"

"Nice throw, Rai." Kimiko grinned in approval.

Dojo placed a hand on his forehead dramatically. "Ever since I was young, I've always wanted to be on broadway, but alas, I have terrible stage fright! Oh, and I also ate Master Fung's pancakes this morning!"

"That was _you? _Master Fung blamed ME for that! Three weeks of dishes..." Raimundo huffed, crossing his arms.

"Omi, now's your chance!" Kimiko hollered across the battlefield. "While he's distracted!"

"Get the heck out of here, partner!"

Omi nodded to his friends and bolted off in the other direction.

Chase sneered. "I don't think so..."

Omi felt something approaching him from behind, and before he could even turn his head, he felt himself being pinned harshly to a rock.

"Aagh! Chase, let me go!"

"Not yet! Not until I find out what I need to know."

"Oh?" Omi looked up at Chase innocently, pretending to play dumb. "And what is that?"

"You know very well what I want. You're obviously hiding something that is of use to me, and I will not rest until I find out what it is!"

"No, I assure you, it is not important at all...but you still must not know about it! Now let go of me!"

Chase tightened his grip on Omi, causing him to whimper. "I'm going to get it out of you, whether you like it or not..." Chase turned to the others. "And if _anyone_ tries to interfere, they will be put out of their misery. Understand?"

Everyone nodded without hesitation.

"Good..." Chase turned back to Omi, grinning maliciously.

"Chase, _please, _you must stop this! It is for your own good!"

"Why should I believe _that_?" Chase snarled.

_This cannot be happening. Why won't he just listen to me? If he found out, he would...no. I will not let that happen!_

Clenching his fists, Omi conjured up all of his remaining strength and kicked out swiftly, nailing Chase right in the gut.

Chase staggered back, releasing his grip slightly, and Omi used this opportunity to leap back onto his feet and into his fighting stance. Once Chase had regained his composure, the two began circling around each other.

"That was a bold move, little one."

"I am not little anymore." Omi's glare increased.

"Indeed. You have grown considerably since our last encounter. I'm quite impressed."

Omi tried to hide the blush staining his cheeks. "Enough chat-chit! Let's fight!"

"As you wish..." Chase lunged at Omi, and the two began going at each other. For awhile, the fight was pretty evenly matched, but one brutal move had Omi on the ground, and he wasn't getting up any time soon.

"Oh..." Omi rubbed his head, fighting to keep his eyes open.

"It's over. No escape now, little one."

Omi growled, biting back the insult and trying to prop himself back up on his hands, but he merely fell back to the ground, his head spinning.

"It's time we find out what you've been hiding this whole time..." Chase bent over to pick up his Shen Gong Wu and fixated it on Omi. "Deep Dark Monarch!"

Omi struggled, but to no prevail; he could already feel himself being enveloped in the sparkling dust of the butterfly Shen Gong Wu. It was all over.

"Well?" Chase sneered. "Is there something you'd like to share with us, young monk?"

"I..." Omi brought himself to his hands and knees, glancing up at Chase sheepishly. "Chase..."

"Yes?"

"I simply can not hide it any longer. Whenever I am around you, I get this feeling in my stomach, like...butterflies. I cannot seem to focus on my training, because my mind keeps getting distracted by thoughts of you, how I long to be with you, how much you mean to me, even if you are on the side of evil..." Omi's blush intensified with all the things that were coming out of his mouth, but no matter how much he struggled, words just kept spilling out. "I believe, over the past three years..." Omi lowered his head, "I believe I have fallen in love with you."

An eery silence fell over the battlefield as everyone stared down at Omi with horrified expressions.

"Oh man," Jack's eyes grew wide, "Did _not _see that coming..."

"Well _that _explains why he's never had a girlfriend!" Raimundo said, gawking.

In reality, Omi had never really quite grasped the limitations of gender in a relationship, nor did it really matter to him; love was love, and Chase was no exception.

_No...this is very bad. No one was ever supposed to know about this. I thought, eventually, it would just go away on its own, but apparently I have misjudged. Things could not possibly get any worse... _Omi suddenly glanced up at Chase, feeling the heat return to his cheeks. _There is, however, the possibility that he feels that way too. Yes...that would be most wonderful! I suppose there is only one way to find out. _

The monks let out a startled gasp as Omi struggled to his feet and began walking towards Chase, stopping just inches away from the other warrior's face. He stared up at him with a warm grin, waiting for Chase to respond, but when he did, it wasn't what he had anticipated.

"Perhaps you were right." Chase narrowed his eyes.

"Wh-what?"

"Perhaps it would have been better if I had never known..." And with that, he disappeared from the scene.

At that moment, Omi could feel all of his hopes dissipate as he fell to his knees, hanging his head in remorse. _It appears...I have misjudged again._


	4. Chapter 4

_It was for the best..._

That's what he kept telling himself; whether or not he actually believed it was an entirely different issue.

He knew how strongly the monk felt about him, and he knew how crushing it must have been to be rejected so brutally, but he also knew the consequences that would come about if he returned his feelings.

Still, he began to wonder if he went about it too harshly.

Chase let out a deep sigh, resting his head on the palm of his hand. He vaguely began to recall the time back when he still lived at the Xiaolin temple with Master Monk Guan and the others.

One day, while they were out training, Guan had come out to him about his feelings for him. Chase, unsure of how to respond to the situation, fled the scene, leaving Guan out in the middle of the field, puzzled and broken.

The two hadn't spoken for weeks after the incident. During that time, Chase realized that it wasn't that he was repulsed by how his best friend felt about him, but rather, he was scared-scared that he wouldn't know how to handle the relationship, that he would cause more harm than good to the close bond that they already shared. But he also felt awful for leaving his friend in the dust; he thought he should at least share his concerns with him.

At last, Chase set off to make amends with his close friend. His plans, however, were cut short with the arrival of Hannibal Roy Bean, who had led him to believe that his friend was plotting his demise.

At first, he was in disbelief: what a snake, leading him to believe that he was in love with him, toying with his feelings as a diversion so he could eliminate him when he was least expecting it. But then, his disbelief turned into skepticism; how could he be sure he could really trust this "bean"?

It was then that Bean had offered him the soup that would give him eternal life and unimaginable power. The catch: he had to sell his soul to the Heylin side. It was a life-altering decision, and Chase needed some time to think it over.

He returned to the temple and sat in a meditative state, his mind occasionally wandering to the things that this "bean" had told him about his friend, the holographic evidence he showed him of his friend stating his plans to annihilate him. Something in the back of his mind told him that this was true, that everything between the two of them had been a lie. His mind became overflowed with these thoughts, and finally, he was sent over the edge.

Later that night, he returned to the dark corner of the forest where he had encountered Bean, and sure enough, he was still there. He had been anticipating his arrival, those smouldering yellow eyes watching his every move.

He had made his decision; there was no turning back.

Chase reflected on this incident, and although just a vague memory now, it began to nag at him deeply; how would things have turned out differently if he had never encountered Bean? Was his friend still hurting over the incident? Was Omi now hurting in the same manner after what he did to him?

Suddenly, his musings were interrupted by a cool breeze over his shoulder.

No, that was the last thing he needed.

"What's the matter, Chase? Got something on your mind?"

"Not now, Wuya."

"Aww, wouldn't you like to talk about it? I'd be willing to listen."

"I'm not telling you anything. Now leave at once."

"Fine!" The ghost flew straight through Chase's head, causing him to shiver. "Oh my!" she gasped. "I can't believe it! The boy is in love with you? And you just left him there?"

"Do you think I wanted to?!" Chase snapped, clenching his fists tight to keep himself from transforming. "...but I had no other choice. With the way things are now, the two of us simply cannot be together."

"And why is that?" The ghost leaned in curiously.

"Well, for starters, he is not immortal like myself. As time goes on, he will continue to age, while I remain the same, and eventually, I will have to watch him die. Now, although I am supposed to be a soulless being devoid of any emotions, that would simply be too much for me to bear. In order to avoid that, I cannot allow myself to become too attached to the boy."

"I see."

Chase lowered his head. "There is also," he continued, "the chance that his morals will be at stake. If he wishes to be with me, he will be forced to witness the harsh reality of what it's like to be on the dark side, things he will never be able to unwitness; he may never be able to turn back."

"I don't get it!" The ghost threw her hands up in the air. "I thought you _wanted _him on the side of evil!"

"Initially, I did. But as time went on, I began to form a deep respect for the young monk-his drive, his persistence, his stubborn will to stand by everything he believes in. I began to realize that the reasons I wanted him by my side were different than what I had expected, and that is what startled me the most."

"Ohh, I think I understand. You're trying so hard to protect him because..." the ghost snickered excitedly, "...you love him as well!"

"I thought I told you to leave! Now, get out of here at once, or there will be dire consequences."

"What could you possibly do to me? I'm a ghost."

Chase froze. "True, true..." he crossed his arms, sighing in defeat.

* * *

"Omi?" Kimiko stared down at the young monk, biting her lip in concern. "Are...you okay?"

"Ohh...well, I am not, as you would say, 'top-tip', but I think I'll get by."

"Well, that's great to hear." Kimiko beamed. It was horrifying enough that everyone knew how she felt about Jack, but she couldn't even begin to imagine the devastation her friend was feeling; to see him so positive was a huge relief.

"Yeah," Raimundo shrugged his shoulders, "you were better off without him anyway. What a soulless jerk."

"Rai!" Kimiko shot Raimundo a warning glance.

"What? It's true! How could _anyone_ love someone like _him_?!"

"Drop it, Rai..." Kimiko growled through her teeth.

Meanwhile, Jack gathered his things and started up his helipack; he could feel the tension beginning to fill the air, and he didn't want any part in it. "Well...I'm just gonna let you guys figure this out on your own. I'm outta here!" And with that, he flew off.

"_We _should probably get going too..." Kimiko said, a hint of acid in her tone.

It took Raimundo all but five seconds to realize that her icy stare was being directed towards him. "Okay, yeesh!"

"Eh, sorry guys..." Dojo winced in pain. "Chase really did a number on me; it looks like we're heading home on foot."

"Hn," Raimundo scoffed, "what a surprise."

The four set off to the Xiaolin temple in an uncomfortable silence, Omi trailing slightly behind the others. He didn't want them to notice his faltering expression; he wanted to appear as though he had simply brushed off the rejection, that it didn't really matter to him. Then, maybe, he wouldn't have to face the backlash from his fellow monks.

Little did he know that Dojo was trailing right behind him, and after living 1500 years, he could easily pick up on the unease he was feeling. The dragon stared ahead in remorse; he knew the next few days weren't going to be pretty.

By the time they had arrived at the temple, the sun was already beginning to disappear behind the horizon; it truly had been a long day for the Xiaolin monks, in more ways than one.

"You sure you're alright, partner? You still seem a little glum."

Omi's shoulders tensed. "What are you talking about? I am not glum!"

"You positive about that?" Clay narrowed his eyes.

"Of course I am!" Omi snapped. "Would I ever lie to you?"

Raimundo scoffed. "Oh gee, well you have been for the past three years!"

"He's right, Omi," Kimiko frowned. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I was afraid you would react like _THIS!" _Omi took in a deep breath, lowering his voice a bit. "Why can't you just accept the way I feel about Chase?"

"He's the _bad guy_, Omi."

"Yeah," Raimundo added sourly, "being with him would cause you nothing but trouble."

"Sorry, partner, but we just can't trust a snake like him."

"Agh...you three do not get it! There is still a side of good left to him, and I know it! The side of him I met back when I used the Sands of Time to stop him from becoming evil, the side that stood by me when everything turned downside-up..._that _is the Chase Young I fell in love with."

Raimundo narrowed his eyes. "I hate to break it to you, little dude, but that Chase is _gone._"

"And he ain't hitchin' a ride back anytime soon." Clay added bluntly.

Omi's shoulders drooped. "Kimiko...?"

The dragon of fire merely sighed, shaking her head remorsefully.

"Fine! If you three won't try to understand, then I'll just go to someone who will!" The young monk clenched his fists and turned his back on his fellow monks, making his way up the vast hills that led away from the temple.

"Fine, _go_! Become one of his mindless henchmen for all I care!" Raimundo growled as his friend ignored his cries and disappeared further into the mountains. "I _don't _care..." he suddenly added, crossing his arms.

Omi could hear his friends' desperate pleas from off in the distance, but he ignored them and trudged on. There was one person that he needed to see, to make everything right; the question was, did this person wish to see him?


	5. Chapter 5

_Well, that did not turn out quite the way I hoped._

The young monk continued into the night until he knew he was at the right place; it was kind of hard to miss. After a slight hesitation, he knocked on the door.

Chase's head perked up. "It appears I have a visitor. Wuya, go see who approaches me so late in the evening."

"Of course." The ghost flew down the endless twists and turns of the citadel until she finally reached the entrance, slipping her head through the door. "Omi! I assume you're here to see Chase."

"Yes...how did you know that?"

"I have my ways," she giggled. "I'll let him know you're here." Once again, she flew back through the neverending maze until she found Chase. "It's Omi! He wishes to see you."

"Omi?" Chase's expression grew sour. "Dismiss him at once! Tell him it is simply not a good time."

"Very well." The ghost returned to the entrance and delivered her message.

"Okay...when is a good time?"

"I'll ask him." Again, she returned. "He wants to know when it would be a good time to see you."

Chase growled. "Tell him that I do not wish to speak with him at _any_ time, that he is simply not welcome here, and that is final."

"Is that your final answer?"

Chase nodded, growing somewhat irritated.

"Okay..." Again, she flew off, stopping midway and deciding that it would be easier to merely pass through the walls. "I'm sorry, Omi, but Chase told me that..." the ghost looked down at the monk's somber expression, and she decided that she had been working under Chase's control for far too long; it was about time she had a little fun. "Chase is quite busy at the moment, but if you return in...three hours, he will be ready to address anything you'd like to discuss with him."

"Three hours..." the monk pondered it for a moment. "It is settled...I shall return in three hours!"

"Good..." The ghost chuckled deviously, flashing her teeth in a demonic grin.

Wuya watched the monk fade off into the distance and shook her head in disapproval. "The powerful Heylin witch, who once held the entire world in her fingertips...reverted to a messenger!" And with that, she vanished into a dark corner of the citadel.

* * *

Omi stopped at the edge of a forest, plopping himself down next to a tree. What would he do for the next three hours? He couldn't go back to the temple, not after everything that had happened.

Suddenly, he heard a noise approaching, followed by a huge gust of wind. He could make out a few voices, some of which sounded oddly familiar to him. He peered up at the sky, and sure enough, they were there, shooting through the sky on their dragon.

_A new Shen Gong Wu must have revealed itself. I should go help them! _Omi followed Dojo's path eagerly, when suddenly, he froze mid-sprint, recalling the incident earlier. _Perhaps, that would not be a very wise choice..._

Omi sighed, thinking of ways to occupy himself for the next two hours and 58 minutes.

* * *

Meanwhile, the remaining Xiaolin monks set off on a journey of their own.

"Hey!" Raimundo hollered, "Come on! Pick it up, Dojo!"

The dragon growled through his teeth. "I am doing the best I can!"

"Not good enough!" he retorted. "I'll bet Jack's already there getting his picture taken with the wu!"

"Listen, one more remark from you, and I'm turning this ship around! Do you hear me?"

Raimundo stood up, face to face with Dojo. "_Make me._"

Kimiko finally intervened, grabbing Raimundo by the shirt and forcing him to sit back down. "Rai! What has gotten into you?!"

Raimundo huffed. "Sorry. I'm just a little on edge right now. You know, with Omi being gone..."

"Aww, you're worried about him!" Kimiko beamed. "That's so sweet!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered stoically, glancing away from Kimiko. "I'm just mad at him for leaving us in the dust like that."

"Yeah, that was sort of uncalled for."

"Maybe it was for the best," Clay suddenly piped in.

Raimundo threw his hands up in exasperation. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"I mean, maybe it's just best that we let him blow off some steam. 'Feller had a lot thrown at him today."

"He's right, Rai."

Raimundo lowered his hands, sighing heavily. "Yeah, I guess you guys are right."

"Good," Kimiko grinned. "Now, let's go get that wu!"

* * *

Two hours had passed. Omi had spent that time thinking of what he would say to Chase when he finally met with him, though his mind had occasionally wandered to other things, also involving the immortal.

The monk stood up, face to face with a tree. "Chase, I..." Omi looked down, feeling somewhat foolish for talking to an inanimate object, but a somber expression soon took over his features; this was a serious matter. "Chase, about what happened today, you see, I kind of-no..." Omi shook his head, exasperated. "What I mean is, I...agh! I can't even talk to a tree!" Omi let out a deep sigh, trying his best to regain his calm. _You can do this, Omi. _"Yes, I can do this." Omi took another deep breath.

"No good with words, are we, son?"

The sudden noise caused Omi to jolt back into reality. "Who said that?"

"Maybe you should just plant one right on him, see how he feels about that."

"Who is it? Who's there?" Omi began looking around frantically, but there was no one in sight for miles. "Show yourself!"

"If you were smart, you would have figured it out by now."

A chill ran through Omi's spine as the voice began chuckling menacingly. _What does he mean by that?_

Suddenly feeling threatened, Omi reached into his pocket and pulled out his Shen Gong Wu. "Orb of Tornami, ICE!"

A sea of frozen shards were sent flying upwards into the trees, demolishing every leaf and branch in Omi's line of sight. He grinned to himself in satisfaction; there was no way anyone could have escaped an attack like that.

"Missed me."

Omi jumped. "What...I...how?"

The laughter began to crescendo throughout the forest, and Omi bolted off in the other direction, hoping to lose whoever it was that was following him. When the laughter finally ceased, Omi stopped, his breathing heavy, his face drenched in sweat, with only one question circulating in his mind: _what was that?_

* * *

_Ten minutes. _The ghost grinned mischieviously. _In ten minutes, he will be here..._

Omi sat up from the rock he was perched on. "I should probably get going. Three hours _must_ have passed by now!"

_NINE! He will be here in NINE minutes!_

"Now, remember what you have planned to say to him. And don't mess up!"

_EIGHT! _The ghost's eyes glowed in anticipation.

"You can do this, Omi..."

_SEVEN!_

"Look him in the eyes..."

_SIX!_

"...and just tell him how you feel..."

_FIIIVE! Oh, if I were not already dead, the suspense would have KILLED me by now!_

"...hopefully, he will understand..."

_FOUR!_

"...and not release his tigers on you..."

_THREE!_

"Hopefully, this whole thing was just a misunderstanding..."

_TWO!_

"And maybe, in the slightest chance..."

_ONE...!_

"...he feels the same way." At last, Omi could make out the figure of Chase's citadel through the thick fog. This was it; there was no turning back. Finally approaching the doors, he took a deep breath, and he knocked.

The ghost turned over her shoulder. _He's here..._


	6. Chapter 6

Omi stood at the doorway, his thoughts racing. Soon, he was greeted by a familiar spirit.

"Come on in," she murmured, "he's waiting for you."

Omi beamed. _He's actually been anticipating my arrival?_ Hands still trembling furiously, he followed the ghost for what seemed like an eternity until they reached their destination.

"Oh Chase," she practically sang, "you have a visitor."

"Who is it?" he snarled.

Omi swallowed hard. _He sounds angry._

Suddenly, Omi's instincts began to kick in; everything in him wanted to turn around and run out that door, but his feet ignored these desperate pleas and carried him forward until he was at the foot of the stairs that led to his beloved immortal, who sat with a glare on his face. He tried his best to calm his breathing, but this proved to be an impossible task, for he could never breathe when he was around him. "Um, hello, Chase..."

Chase's glare increased. "I specifically told the old hag not to let you in. Looks like someone has problems with following orders," he glanced over at Wuya, then back at Omi. "But that issue aside, what are you doing here?"

Omi placed his hands together anxiously. "Please forgive me if I have angered you, but-"

"But, what? If this is about what happened earlier, then don't even bother trying to reason with me. I simply do not see you in that way."

At hearing those words, Omi felt his stomach drop. _He...really doesn't feel that way about me._

"Now, begone. I wish to see nothing more of you."

Omi turned away from Chase, his head lowered in defeat.

Wuya noticed Omi's deflated expression and frowned, feeling a tinge of sympathy for the young monk, but mostly because her plan was headed south, and fast. "Aww, Chase, don't be so harsh towards the boy! All he wants is for you to return his feelings of _love..."_

Chase flinched at Wuya's antics. He leaned in towards the ghost and lowered his voice to a tone that only the two of them could hear. "_You know very well why I am doing this_," he hissed, narrowing his eyes, "And you _will_ play along, or I will seek to it that you are never reunited with your human flesh again."

"...Agreed." The ghost nodded anxiously, retreating to her dark corner of the citadel.

"Good," Chase smirked, turning back to Omi. "Disregard anything she says; the hag only speaks of nonsense. The day I'd harbor such feelings for you would be the same day I let Spicer rule by my side. Go on, the longer you loiter here, the harder it will become."

Omi froze in his path. He stared irritably at the doors in front of him, clenching his fists. _I do not believe this! I came all this way, took all the heating from my friends, waited for three hours...only to get the door so harshly slammed in my face?!_

Without thinking, he took a giant leap up the stairs and landed on Chase's lap, meeting his eyes in an icy glare. "How _dare_ you speak so chilly to me!"

Chase sneered in amusement. "I can speak however I want."

"After everything you put me through today, you could at least show me three ounces of respect!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, little one; you're one of the few people I actually respect in this world."

"And you can start by not calling me that!" Omi snapped, clenching his teeth. "I don't get it, Chase. All this time you have wanted me at your side, and now, you are tossing me aside like a piece of garbage! All of a sudden, you want nothing to do with me..."

"A lot has changed in three years, hasn't it, young monk?"

"Indeed." Omi sighed, hanging his head in remorse.

Chase reached his hand out to caress the back of Omi's head, but soon realizing his actions, he quickly snapped it back into place. _Yes, things have changed, _he pondered. _But, in the opposite way of which he thinks. My desire to have him by my side has grown stronger than ever before-how I long to comfort him, to caress his soft cheek, to look into those sweet, innocent eyes and just tell him everything..._ Chase stopped mid-thought. _No, I must stop thinking this way! I must focus on the task at hand. _He took a deep breath, clearing his throat. "I thought I told you to leave," he stated sharply.

"Not until you give me the apology I so rightfully deserve!"

"I don't recall agreeing to such a thing."

"I expected even _you _would have figured that out!"

Wuya watched from her corner in anticipation. "Oh, this is getting good!"

"Careful what you say, young monk; might I remind you of how much power I have over you?"

"You do not threaten me, Chase!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

By now, their faces were less than an inch apart. Omi had seen incidents similar to this in those movies Kimiko liked to watch. The man and the woman would be shouting back and forth at each other, and their fight would continue to escalate until, out of the blue, they would spontaneously fall into a heated kiss. _Yes, this is perfect! I'll just continue on with the "fight", and then, when the moment is right... _Omi grinned to himself, chuckling deviously. _Perhaps he is thinking the same thing!_

"It looks like your big ego is taking over again, little one."

"No, it is _you _who has the big ego!" Omi let out a low growl, leaning in so that their noses were now pressed together. "And I am not little!"

Chase blinked in surprise, staring at the monk sitting in front of him. Despite 1500 years of discipline, it took everything in him not to give in and crash his lips onto Omi's at that very moment, and the temptation only further increased with the sly grin that was growing on said monk's face.

Omi leaned in and puckered his lips, only to be blocked by Chase's hand.

"There will be none of that, young monk!"

"Ooh!" Wuya wrung her ghostly hands in desperation. "Denied!"

Omi flinched in disbelief. "But...I-"

"Why is it so hard for you to accept the idea that our relationship would simply not work?"

"_Why_? Would you rather be with a pretty _GIRL_?!"

"No! I mean, it's not-" Chase let out a sigh of frustration. "Suppose we _did _form a relationship. Unlike you, I don't get any older; eventually, you will surpass me in age. What's going to happen when that turns into decades, centuries? One day, you will come to pass, and as time goes on, I will forget all about you until you are nothing more than a distant memory to me. Have you ever considered _that_?"

Despite his efforts, Chase knew this was a lie. Several millennia could pass and he would never be able to forget the monk. However, he knew if he kept up with this facade, he might have a better chance.

"Well, I..." Omi sighed in remorse. _He's right._ "...no."

"Exactly," he continued, "And how could you spend your whole life with someone who goes against everything you stand for, everything you believe in?"

"Chase..." Omi reached out a hand in protest, but Chase simply brushed it off.

"Tell me, Omi, does it feel right?"

"I..."

Suddenly, everything Chase said began to make sense, and the horrible reality dawned upon him.

"...you are right. There is no way we could ever be together; it is simply not possible." Omi rested his head on the broad chest before him, hoping to find some sort of comfort in its warmth, but all he could feel was the cold, hard exterior of Chase's armor.

The sudden action caused Chase to flinch, though he gradually brushed it off, knowing that it may have been the last opportunity he would have to be this close to the young monk. The two remained in this position for awhile, both silently savoring what was to be their final moments together.

Suddenly, Chase's eyes grew wide, and the silence was shattered.

"Well, there _is_ one way."

Omi's head perked up, puzzled at the grave expression on the immortal's face. "What do you mean?"

"If you were to drink the Lao Mang Long soup, you would be able to remain forever young. But, by doing so, you will also be handing your soul over to the dark side."

"Oh..." Omi furrowed his brows in contemplation. "This is a most intriguing proposition. I will have to think it over."

The monk's response caused Chase to snap back into reality. "Wha-no! Absolutely not!"

"But there is no other option! It can't be that bad."

"No, you are wrong. It is far worse than you could ever imagine. Once you have ingested the soup, you will be stripped of all your moral being, leaving nothing but the desire to destroy."

"Well, if it is _so _bad, then why did you even bring it up in the first place?!"

"I was merely thinking out loud. I never once thought that you would actually consider the idea."

"Well, I guess you do not know me as well as you thought you did."

"You're right, I don't. And I doubt I ever will..." Chase stared into Omi's eyes as if he was seeing him for the first time. The monk he saw now looked fervent, restless...hungry. Chase frowned. "You're not drinking the soup, Omi."

"But-"

"The answer is no. I care far too much for your moral being to see you throw it away like that. I will not allow you to fall into the same trap that I did."

Omi sighed in defeat. "Very well."

Chase shook his head in remorse. _No, I have already said too much. I must end this before it progresses any further. _"You should be getting home, young monk. It is late."

"Um, actually, I..."

Chase stared at the monk, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"You see...I am not exactly welcome at the temple right now. Do you think I could possibly, well...spend the night with you?"

Chase's body grew rigid, though he quickly let it out in a deep sigh, not wanting to agitate the monk any further. "Very well. If you wander around for awhile, you should eventually find one of the guest beds."

"Bed?" Omi looked up at Chase with a puzzled expression. "You mean...I don't have to sleep on a mat?"

"That won't be necessary." Chase smirked. "Unless you would prefer the mat..."

"No, no, the bed is fine."

"Good. Now, get to bed. You need your rest."

"Oh yes, after a day like today, you are most right about that," Omi wandered halfway down the hall before stopping abruptly. He turned over his shoulder, his cheeks lightly tinted with blush, and after a slight hesitation, he muttered, "Thank you."

Chase watched the monk as he disappeared down the endless hallway, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest. _This is just for tonight, _he reminded himself. _After this, you will not associate with him ever again._

Omi wandered around aimlessly until he finally discovered a room made entirely of stained glass. In the center was a bed draped in intricate canopies, its satin sheets slightly ruffled, as if it had just been used. He walked in and snuffed out each of the candles one by one, allowing the walls to become illuminated by only the stars of the night sky and lighting up the room in a blue radiance. To say it was breathtaking would be an understatement. He fell onto the bed, bouncing playfully on it and enjoying the new sensation before nestling himself under the covers.

Meanwhile, Chase entered his own room and prepared for bed. He carefully removed his armor, wincing at some of the bruises he had received from their fight earlier, when suddenly, he heard a noise. Curious, he stood up and walked over to the wall until he could finally make out the sound of bed springs. He grinned to himself; clearly the monk was enjoying himself in the other room. "Sleep well, young monk."

* * *

Later that night, Omi stared wide awake at the ceiling. Though he felt worn out beyond belief, his mind was still racing, replaying the events from that day over and over-losing the showdown, spilling his secret to Chase, the harsh rebuttal from his friends, that sinister voice in the forest-but the one thing his mind was really focused on was what Chase had told him earlier. Omi had never once considered crossing over to the dark side, but given the circumstances, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

_Being on the Heylin side couldn't possibly be as awful as Chase makes it out to be. Besides, my friends don't really need me, they have RAIMUNDO..._ Omi's blood boiled at the thought of his friend, who had deliberately stole his leadership position right out from under him. _He's their leader; I'm sure they would much rather have him around than me._ _And if I join the Heylin side, at least THEY will accept me, right? _Omi sat up. _It is settled. I shall drink the Lao Mang Long soup!_

Omi creaked open his door, carefully scoping the halls before making his escape. Finally, he reached the stairwell that led down to the kitchen. He took one step forward before he froze dead in his path with a sudden realization: this was it. He, a most worthy Xiaolin monk, was really crossing over to the dark side. The thought made his stomach heave, and his body became covered in a cold sweat. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._

Omi began to turn around, when suddenly, he stopped. _No, I have to do this. I am most certain that Chase still has some good left in him-even if just a little-and maybe, if I am right...there will be good left in me too._

Omi took a deep breath and began his journey down the stairwell, his heart pounding, unaware of the eyes illuminated off in the distance.


	7. Chapter 7

Even later that same night, Jack returned to his lair, grinning in satisfaction. "Oh man, too easy! Those Xiaolin losers totally fell apart without their cheeseball. And now, with the Wukong Staff in my possession, I have the power to mask the presence of any Shen Gong Wu within a thirty yard radius, meaning that the dragon and the old ghost hag won't be able to sense them! HA! Take that, Wuya! Serves her right for leaving me, _again..." _Jack glanced around at the empty room. "Though it does get a little lonely sometimes," he added somberly, though he quickly brushed it off with a laugh. "Who am I kidding? I don't need them! You hear that, Chase?! You and the old hag can kiss my-!"

"_Jack_! Keep it down! Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah, mom, I know."

"Is he talking to himself again?" a lower voice chimed in.

"Yeah...that's our son for you."

Jack scoffed. "Such loving parents I have..." he muttered bitterly, taking off his helipack and chucking it onto the table. "Hey, what's that?" He noticed something unusual stuck to the back of his helipack. Curious, he turned it over, revealing what appeared to be a pair of ancient samurai gauntlets. He carefully peeled them off, gasping at the way they glowed to his touch. "No way...another Shen Gong Wu? I'll bet the Wukong Staff was hiding it all along. Bonus! I wonder what this one does..." he pondered. "Guess there's only one way to find out!" Jack slipped the gauntlets on eagerly, but nothing happened. "Come on, do something!" Despite his desperate pleas, the gauntlets continued to prove themselves useless. "Man, what a ripoff!" He groaned, chucking them somewhere in the messy confines of his lair. "Now, back to work!"

* * *

_This is it; there is no turning back now._

Omi continued down the stairwell, his heart pounding faster with each step. _Keep going, Omi, you are almost there. Just pray that you do not run into..._

"Where do you think you're going?"

Omi froze in his path. He turned over his shoulder to see none other than Chase Young, standing before him in nothing but a pair of striped boxers. If it weren't for the current situation he was in, he almost would have found this amusing...and sort of hot at the same time. "Chase Young! I was, uh..."

"I don't believe you fully grasp the graveness of this situation, young monk. Once you drink the soup, there is no turning back."

Though the immortal remained in his usually calm stature, Omi could sense the severity in his tone; he was really serious about this. _Perhaps Chase is right. Perhaps I am being too rash in my decision-making. _"Forgive me, Chase. I am deeply sorry for trying to blind you with wool."

Chase sneered. "Apology accepted. Now, get back to bed. And to ensure you don't try to pull any more fast ones on me, my jungle cats will be guarding every last inch of this place. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, your words are as clear as crystals."

Chase narrowed his eyes, immediately picking up on the insincerity in his tone. "You're lucky I'm not throwing you off the mountainside, as I would with Spicer, or any of those other nitwits."

"Yes, I am most grateful for that. I thank-"

And just like that, the immortal was gone, without another word. Omi cocked his head to the side; it always baffled him how he did that.

"...you." Shrugging his shoulders, he returned to his bed, the sheets even more messed up than before. Omi suddenly imagined Chase wrapped up in those sheets, lying on his bed, waiting for him. The thought made him blush heavily. _I have never had thoughts like this before; perhaps I am closer to being on the dark side than I thought. _Omi shuddered, situating himself in his bed and trying to erase the image from his mind. His eyes grew heavy as he glanced around the room, a warm feeling washing over him-a sense of familiarity, a sense of security, as if he had been living there his whole life-and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Omi reluctantly dragged himself out of bed-he was going to miss it once he went back to sleeping on the floor-and prepared for his long awaited return to the temple. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but the longer he waited, the harder it would be. Before leaving, he walked over to his beloved immortal, staring at him with grieving eyes. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Chase..." Omi leaned in for a final embrace, but Chase merely pushed him away, shaking his head. The monk sighed, making his way towards the door.

Chase watched him carefully through the window. With everything that had happened, he knew this wouldn't be the last he would see of the young monk.

Wuya floated over to Chase's side. "Well, that worked out nicely."

"And why is that?"

"Clearly the monk has no problem crossing over to the dark side so long as he has a good purpose in mind, and now that he has established that purpose, it is only a matter of time..."

"I already told you," Chase snarled, "I do not wish for Omi to join us on the Heylin side."

"Why not?! If anything, it would make us stronger! With Omi in our control, we could be _unstoppable_! Isn't that what you have wanted all along? _Total world domination_?!" The ghost loomed over Chase's shoulder, drawing each word out with great emphasis. "What could have _possibly _caused you to change your mind so quickly?"

"That, Wuya, is something that you could never hope to understand..." Chase muttered as he turned towards the doorway, "...not in your endless lifetime."

* * *

It was a long journey back to the temple, which gave Omi plenty of time to regain his composure. He tried to stay positive, hoping that his fellow monks were merely worried about his safe-being and would welcome him with open arms when he returned. "Yes, perhaps my friends have finally seen the error of their ways, and they will apologize for their most unworthy behavior...and then crush me in a big group hug!" Omi grinned, chuckling to himself. "I can only hope!"

Those hopes were soon shattered, however, by the cold sets of eyes fixated upon him as he entered the temple grounds. Omi could feel a glare coming in from every direction, and his expression fell, the remorse slowly sinking in. _Perhaps, I have spoken too soon..._


	8. Chapter 8

_Ohh, this is not what I expected. They look so...angry. _Omi took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. "Hello, friends!"

The monks remained silent.

"I'll start," Raimundo hopped off the roof. "What makes you think you can just leave us like that?"

"I-"

"You think you're _so _special that you can just run around while we work our butts off and lose more Shen Gong Wu to Spicer?!"

"No, I-"

"Oh! And that brings up another good question. Where were you?"

"I..." Omi felt a blush rising on his cheeks. "That's...not important!"

"I'll bet you were with _Chase,_" Raimundo said his name with as much acid as he could muster, "That's why you don't wanna tell us!"

"No...!"

"So now you're a liar, huh? Seems he's already rubbing off on you."

"You leave Chase Young out of this!" Omi snapped, clenching his teeth. "I thought you would at least be happy to see me."

"Just ignore Rai, Omi," Kimiko muttered, "He was just worried about you."

"Oh, I wasn't worried," Raimundo stated bluntly, "I knew you weren't in any kind of real trouble. We even made bets on how soon you would be back-Clay said a week, but I figured it wouldn't even take a day before you came running home to us after Chase rejected you."

"You...made bets on me?" Omi mumbled feebly. He turned to the others, who nodded shamefully.

Kimiko noticed the monk's deflated expression and tried her best to lighten the mood. "Well, you're back for good now, right Omi?"

"I..." Omi lowered his head. "...do not know."

"Omi..." Kimiko raised a hand in protest, but she was cut off by Raimundo.

"That's fine with me. If he wants to go live with Chase, let him. He can join the Heylin side for all I care."

"_Rai!_" Kimiko let out a sharp gasp.

Omi felt a cold sweat forming on his face. _Does he know...?_

"Yeah," Raimundo scoffed, "You heard me. I'm sick of you constantly thinking you're better than us, treating us like we're nothing but a mat for you to wipe your shoes on. If you wanna throw us to the side for Chase Young, then be my guest."

Omi snapped his head up, suddenly feeling bold. "Be careful what you say, Raimundo. Those words of yours could soon become the truth!"

Raimundo snickered. "You? Willingly cross over to the dark side? You're killin' me, little dude!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because," he said, sneering, "You would never let anything get in the way of your status as a _most AMAZING Xiaolin dragon_," Raimundo contorted his voice to sound like Omi's, mocking him, "Not even your love for a creepy 1500 year old lizard."

At hearing those words, Omi felt a sudden rage surge up inside of him as he lept up and nailed Raimundo square in the face.

The monks gasped.

"My face!" Raimundo held his face defensively, growling. "Oh...you're gonna pay for that, cueball!"

Raimundo lunged at Omi, and the two engaged in a whirlwind of words, punches, and kicks.

"You think just because you are the leader now, you can insult me," Omi dodged three of Raimundo's hits, "Well, you are wrong!" He swung out his fist, but Raimundo ducked before it could hit him.

"Looks like someone's bitter because they didn't get the position."

"I am not!" Omi paused for a moment. "Though I _did _deserve it more than-AAGH!" While Omi was distracted, Raimundo swooped in and pummeled him to the ground, where the two continued beating each other senseless.

"Guys, stop this!" Kimiko cried. "Violence is never the answer."

Clay placed a hand on Kimiko's shoulder. "I reckon they're not gonna listen to you at this point."

Kimiko whimpered, biting her lip. "Clay, go get Master Fung!"

"On it, little lady!" And with that, Clay fled from the scene.

Kimiko continued to watch the fight in horror, wincing every now and then when one inflicted a brutal move upon the other.

She knew there had always been tension between the two of them-everyone could see it-but now, it was all slowly beginning to unravel with every blow that was delivered.

She just hoped it wouldn't be the end of them.

"What is going on out here?"

The dragon of fire let out a breath of relief at hearing the voice of her master.

"What have I taught you? To resort to using violence is to already admit defeat."

Raimundo scoffed. "Yeah? Well maybe I need violence to get my message through that big yellow head of his!"

"Yes! Let Raimundo channel his aggression through senseless violence-it's all he knows how to do well anyway," Omi retorted.

"See?! This is _exactly_ what I'm talking about! Why do you always feel the need to put me down?"

"I agree with Raimundo," Master Fung suddenly chimed in. "Omi, that was very disrespectful. Apologize to your fellow monk."

Omi sighed heavily. "Okay..." he took a deep breath. "I am most sorry, Raimundo...I am sorry that you are not adequate enough to keep up with the rest of us. Perhaps I can teach you." Omi flashed a huge grin, causing Raimundo's blood to boil.

"Omi..." Master Fung shot him a warning glare.

"Why should I apologize to Raimundo? He insulted me _and _Chase Young!"

"Chase Young? What does he have to do with this?"

"Omi here's got a little crush on the prince of darkness," Raimundo said, half mocking and half in disgust.

A heavy blush rose to Omi's cheeks. "Raimundo...!" he groaned.

Master Fung raised both eyebrows. "I...see," he muttered, trying to remain stoic. "I...assume this is what really started the fight?"

"Yeah, I said one thing about his precious Chase, and he got all defensive."

"I did not!" Omi snapped.

"Young monk..." Master Fung placed a hand on Omi's shoulder, "While I respect your decision, Chase Young is a very dangerous man; it would not be wise to get too close to him."

"He's right you know," Dojo poked his head out of Master Fung's shirt, "That man is sca-ry!"

Omi could feel the anger flooding through his veins. He decided that he would do anything to defend his beloved immortal, even if the others looked down upon him for it. "He may be scary to you, but you do not know him like I do. There is still good in him, even if I am the only one who can see it."

Raimundo snorted. "Of course it's only you who sees it; you're obviously so blindly in love that you're going delusional."

"You make one more comment and I'll rip your hair out!"

"Omi," Master Fung said sternly, "we do not use that kind of language in the temple. It is very disrespectful."

"I'll show YOU disrespectful!" Omi turned to Master Fung and kicked out swiftly, nailing him in the shin and nearly knocking the man off his feet. The monks stared wide-eyed as their friend turned over his shoulder defiantly before storming off.

"Oh man," Raimundo muttered, "he messed with the Fung Master."

"Feller must be real upset to stoop that low," Clay added, covering his face with his hat.

Kimiko growled, suddenly feeling protective of her friend. "Maybe you three should just leave him alone!" she finally snapped. "So Omi's got a crush-big deal!"

"Yeah, but this isn't just a crush on some girl," Raimundo retorted, "this is _Chase Young _we're talking about. Might I remind you of all the times he's tried to vaporize us?"

Master Fung settled back onto his feet, staring ahead somberly. "The young monk has already begun to show signs of rebellious behavior, indicating that he may be closer than we think to crossing over to the other side. He needs to cleanse his mind through deep meditation. Then, perhaps he will finally come to his senses."

"Yeah, and get over that creepy crush he has on Chase," Raimundo added bluntly.

"Precisely."

Kimiko suddenly thought of Jack. He wasn't exactly _Chase Young _evil, but he still wasn't trusted by her friends. She silently hoped that her fellow monks would be too preoccupied with Omi to remember her little outburst at the showdown.

"Omi..." Master Fung entered the temple hall to see the young monk crouched against the wall. Clay and Raimundo followed behind, and the latter's presence was enough to earn a scowl from the monk.

"Why can't you just leave me alone? I have no more peas to spill!"

"I think he meant beans," Raimundo murmured, leaning over Clay's shoulder.

Raimundo's statement caused a thought to form in Omi's head, but it immediately vanished when his master spoke.

"Young monk, we've decided that it would be best for you to do some quiet, solitary meditation-there's a room out back behind the temple."

"You mean...you're going to lock me up? Because you think that I am _crazy?!_"

"Not at all. Think of this as an opportunity to clear your mind and sort out all of the things that have been bothering you."

Omi snarled. "The only thing that is bothering me is _you!_"

"Not another word; this is for your own good, Omi."

"No!" The young monk crossed his arms defiantly. "I refuse!"

Master Fung let out a deep sigh. "Very well. Clay? Raimundo?"

"On it," Raimundo replied, grinning deviously.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hey!" Omi let out a yelp as he was suddenly lifted off the ground by his fellow monks. "Unhand me!" He kicked and thrashed, but he could not get loose from the tight grip they had around his arms. They carried him all the way around the temple grounds until they reached a small room, about the size of a tool shed...if the roof had caved in.

"My friends, please don't do this to me."

"Aww, don't take it the wrong way, partner; we're only doin' this 'cause we care about you," Clay said, as he and Raimundo chucked him onto the floor.

Omi stared up at them with pleading eyes. Clay gave him a reassuring pat on the back before walking off with Raimundo, who wore a cruel smirk on his face. The monk's expression slowly deflated. "Master Fung, I am most sorry for my behavior. Now can you please let me out?"

"There is no more room for apologies. You will stay in here until you have finally come to your senses. Understand?"

"I..." Omi began to protest, but he silenced himself. "Yes, Master."

"Good." With that, Master Fung shut the door, leaving Omi in a cold silence.

_Why can't they understand? Locking me in a room will not make me love Chase Young any less. Even with his chilly rejections, he is still treating me better than the ones I call my "friends". _Omi sighed, burying his face in his knees.

_Oh, I am most confused. I do not know who to turn to. If I switch over to the Heylin side, I will have to betray my friends, and my master, who took me in when I had nowhere else to go. Not to mention, it would be most dishonorable. _

_But, if I remain on the Xiaolin side, I will have to continue to take orders from Raimundo, and...I may never get to see Chase again. _Omi stared ahead at the wall with grieving eyes. _That...would be most unbearable. More unbearable than shame and dishonor, or even losing my position as a Xiaolin dragon... _The monk's head suddenly perked up, astounded by his behavior. _No, what am I saying? I cannot possibly believe that to be true! I have worked my whole life to get to where I am now; do I really care that deeply for Chase to just throw it all away? _His eyes widened with a sudden realization, and he lowered his head in remorse.

_I do. _

As ridiculous as it seemed, Omi couldn't push the reality away any longer: he was in love.

_I know now what I must do. _The monk stood up and delivered a huge blow to the walls, completely demolishing them. He blinked in surprise. _If I had known it would be that easy... _Suddenly, Omi could hear the sound of footsteps approaching, accompanied by faint murmuring. He figured they had heard him and were concerned that he was trying to make a run for it. And they right...in a sense.

"Omi!" The dragon of fire came sprinting across the temple grounds. "We heard a crash. Are you okay?"

Omi chuckled. "Oh yes, you see I-"

"We got him, Master Fung!"

Omi turned abruptly over his shoulder to see Clay and Raimundo bolting in his direction.

"We won't let him escape this time!" Raimundo said, grinning evilly.

"No! Friends, wait!"

They stopped mid-sprint, and Omi let out a sigh of relief.

"I assure you, I was not trying to escape."

Raimundo looked over at Clay, and the two exchanged puzzled glances.

"You see," Omi continued, "I've done some thinking."

"And?"

The monks stared down at Omi in anticipation.

"I believe I have finally come to my senses."

"For real?" Raimundo said, eying him suspiciously.

"Yes. All five of them!" Omi flashed a huge grin.

Kimiko couldn't help but beam at the innocence of her friend, even if he had been forced into changing his ways. "That's great, Omi."

"Indeed. There is no need to worry about me anymore, my friends; soon, everything will be right for me once again." Omi paused. "Now may I have the group hug?"

"Ohh..." A tender smile spread across Kimiko's face. "Of course!"

"Come here, little dude!" Raimundo said, chuckling.

Omi felt a wave go through his stomach as three sets of arms enveloped him in the warmest embrace imaginable. _I feel most awful betraying them like this. _He looked up at the smiling faces of his fellow monks, fighting back tears. _But it is for the greater good. Besides... _he added bitterly ..._they don't need me anyway. At least, not the way I am._

Raimundo suddenly glanced around, noticing that the other monks had already let go, and he finally released his tight grip on Omi. "See?" he said, grinning, "You don't need Chase; that old lizard could never give you what you got right here."

Omi held back a scowl, trying not to give away his true intentions. "Oh yes, you are most right about that. Who needs Chase Young? That man is _foolish_!"

"Yeah, and not too easy on the eyes either," Raimundo added with a snort.

Omi forced a smile onto his face and began to laugh along with Raimundo. _This 'playing along' is most difficult... _he growled inwardly, clenching his teeth.

* * *

Several hours passed before nightfall finally hit.

"Well, my friends, I am off to bed," Omi turned over his shoulder and walked until he was out of their line of sight.

"We should probably hit the hay too," Raimundo added once Omi was gone. "I can't believe it's only been two days."

"And two eventful ones at that..." Clay yawned. "Boy, howdy."

Omi peered out from behind the temple wall, taking in the image of his fellow monks a final time before running into the vault. He glanced around shadily, making sure there was no sign of Dojo before opening the drawer. "Yes, here it is," He grinned, pulling out his desired Shen Gong Wu. "Golden Tiger Claws!" With a flash, he vanished, reappearing at his bedside. _Good, the other monks have not yet arrived for sleep. _Omi grinned deviously. _Now... _"Shadow Slicer!" Omi whipped out the Shen Gong Wu, creating a shadow image of himself. "Perfect."

The remaining monks wandered down the temple halls.

"Do you think he's really okay?" Kimiko bit her lip in concern.

"Of course," Raimundo lowered his voice as they neared the bedrooms. "He said he was, didn't he?"

"I know..."

Omi could hear his friends approaching, grinning smugly. _I did not come unprepared...oh, no. _"Shroud of Shadows..." he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Raimundo turned the corner to see the shadow of Omi staring at the wall. "Oh look, he's still up," He tip-toed over to the Omi shadow. "Hey, about what happened today, I hope there's no hard feelings. So, we cool now?" No response. "Omi?" Raimundo reached out to tap him on the shoulder, gasping as his hand went right through him. "Um...okay then, see you in the morning..." Raimundo slid away from him inconspicuously, too tired to argue.

Once the lights were out, and his fellow monks were all settled in their beds, Omi used this opportunity to make his escape through the window. "They will not suspect a thing. And once the power of the Shadow Slicer has worn off, it will be too late..." He grinned to himself in satisfaction. "Golden Tiger Claws!"

Omi took one last glance at the temple before leaping into the gaping hole, thoughts of his ominous future circulating in his mind.

* * *

Later that night, Raimundo awoke from a startling dream, his body drenched in a cold sweat. It was so vivid, so real, even he had a hard time grasping what just happened. With his mind racing furiously, he knew there was no way he would be going back to sleep; so, he decided that he would walk around the temple for awhile until his body was too tired to care. He dragged himself out of bed and limped down the hallway, when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something out of place. Curious, he glanced over his shoulder to see Omi, still staring at the wall, in the exact same position he was in earlier. "Omi? What are you still doing up?" He took a step closer, his eyes still adjusting to the dark, and he could have swore he saw the figure flicker in and out of view. He brushed it off, assuming it was just his mind playing tricks on him so late at night. Suddenly, the figure flickered again, and then, it vanished altogether. "Wh-wha...?" He stumbled back, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Guys, wake up! Omi's gone!"

"What?!" Kimiko jolted up from her mat.

"What's goin' on..." Clay groaned, still half asleep.

"I don't understand," Kimiko furrowed her brows in confusion, "He was here when we went to bed."

"That wasn't Omi...it was a fake! That little-" Raimundo clenched his fists. "Oh, when I see him, I'm gonna..._rrgh!_"

Clay sat up, now wide awake. "Well, where could the little feller have run off to?"

"I don't know. But I do know this," Raimundo stared ahead somberly. "If he thinks he's going to get away with this, then he needs to think again."


	9. Chapter 9

Raimundo lowered his head, squeezing his eyes shut in disbelief. "I can't believe he ditched us for Chase again."

"Rai..." Kimiko placed a hand on Raimundo's shoulder, but he violently jerked it off.

"Don't worry about me," he snapped, "I just need to take a walk." The dragon of wind clenched his fists before turning away from his fellow monks and storming down the hallway.

Kimiko immediately rushed after him, only to be held back by Clay. "No," she said sternly, "Let me go talk to him."

Clay released her with a shrug. "Guess I'll just stay back here and hold down the fort," Clay sat against the wall, his mind overrun with thoughts. Suddenly, these thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hello there, my friend."

"Omi? What in tarnation are you doin'?"

"Would you mind telling me where Raimundo is? I would like to apologize to him for my most stinky behavior."

Clay gave him a blank stare. "Uh, he's down the hall."

"Thank you, my friend!" And with that, he was off.

Clay raised an eyebrow. There was something off about his friend-he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but whatever it was, it left him with an unsettling feeling. "Something's just not right with the little feller...I better go warn the others."

"Rai, wait!" Kimiko quickened her pace, practically tripping over her own feet trying to keep up with the wind dragon.

"No!" he snapped. "I don't wanna talk right now."

"Please, just try to calm down. How do you know he went to see Chase?"

"Where else would he be? That's all he cares about anyway," Raimundo scoffed. "I'll bet he'd double-cross us for that no good lizard."

"Don't say that!" Kimiko cried. "Omi would never betray us like that."

"Hello, friends!"

The monks froze. Kimiko turned over her shoulder hesitantly. "Omi...?" she muttered, blinking in surprise.

Omi tilted his head to the side innocently. "Why do you look so scared? Was it something I did?"

"Omi!" Raimundo rushed over to the monk. "Don't scare us like that. Where'd you go?"

"The answer is quite simple," Omi said, chuckling, "I simply went out to train, so I could one day become as great as my friend, Raimundo!" He flashed a huge grin.

The monks eyed him skeptically. "That's very...sweet of you?" Kimiko muttered, completely dumbfounded.

"I don't buy it," Raimundo narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding something; come on, spill it."

"Guys, don't go near him!"

Everyone turned their heads to see Clay sprinting down the hallway, his face stricken with panic.

"Clay?" Kimiko stared wide-eyed at her friend. "What's going on?"

"I got that no good varmit!" Clay ran at full speed, clenching his teeth. With a giant leap, he brought himself down on Omi, attempting to seize him in a tight hold, only to plunge face first into the floor. He looked up, wincing in pain. "What in...how did he-?"

"Sphere of Yun!"

Before Clay could react, he was suddenly imprisoned within the sphere. "Hey!" he hollered, pounding on the glass. "What'd you do that for?"

"Omi, what are you doing?" Kimiko let out a sharp gasp as the monk crept closer to her, slowly pulling out his Shen Gong Wu.

Raimundo lunged forward in an attempt to tackle the monk to the ground. Much to his surprise, he went right through him, and he was sent smashing into the wall.

"Missed me!" Omi sung, grinning playfully.

The dragon of wind growled, inching his way back onto his feet. In the time that it took him to blink, he was suddenly face to face with the monk, causing him to stumble back into his fighting stance. He gave Omi a nod of approval, initiating the fight.

Omi took a step back, and Raimundo stared at him, puzzled. There was a strong moment of silence, when suddenly, the dragon of wind could feel his breath hitch up in his throat as his friend sprouted two extra arms from his backside.

"What...?" he muttered breathlessly.

Omi continued to creep closer to Raimundo until his back was pressed against the wall. "What's the matter, Raimundo? Don't you wish to fight me?"

"I...it's not that I don't want to," Raimundo felt his body tense as his friend neared him, "It's just that I..."

"...you know you cannot win," Omi finished, a sinister grin sprawled across his face.

"No! That's not true!" Raimundo swung out his fist, only for it to pass seamlessly through Omi's body. He tried again, countless times, but to no prevail.

"Give up?"

The dragon of wind let out a frustrated growl. "No!"

Raimundo continued his efforts, while Omi just stood there like some kind of rock statue, absorbing every blow as if it was nothing. Eventually, he became worn out, and he stumbled down onto his knees.

Omi hovered over him with an amiable grin on his face. "It seems you have improved after all, my friend; I am most impressed," His grin slowly morphed into a sneer. "Too bad you will never be as good as me."

Raimundo had little time to recuperate before he suddenly found himself pinned against the wall by the webs of the Silk Spitter. Kimiko soon followed, after a hopeless attempt to make an escape. Omi took one last glance at them, grinning menacingly, before vanishing into thin air.

"It was another fake!" Raimundo said, gawking. "Man, that little guy is good!"

"But what could be his motive behind all this?" Kimiko pondered, arching her back in an attempt to snap the thick webs and free herself.

The dragon of wind stared ahead somberly, and with great remorse in his voice, he muttered, "We may never know."

The monks lowered their heads in defeat.

* * *

"Ohh, that Chase..." Wuya balled up her ghostly fists in frustration, "He never knows what he wants!"

"I believe I have a way to fix that."

The sudden noise caused Wuya to jump. Without even turning her head, she replied, "And how do you plan on doing that?"

The voice chuckled. "Wuya, Wuya..."

The ghost froze at the mention of her name.

"You should know me by now," the voice continued, "I always have a plan for everything." The figure emerged from the shadows, and its tiny silhouette, though barely visible in the dark, was almost immediately recognizable.

"Hannibal Bean? Why, it's been years since we've last seen each other! How have you been?"

"Please, spare me the formalities," Hannibal hopped off the ledge he was perched on. "I assume you know of the monk's plan to drink the Lao Mang Long soup."

"Omi? Oh, don't even bother; Chase already talked him out of it."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Hannibal grinned as the ghost's expression became perplexed. "What if I told you he was down in the kitchen making the soup as we speak?"

The ghost's eyes grew wide. "Does Chase know?"

The bean shook his head. "Not yet, at least."

"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed. "What did you say to him?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"How could you have possibly swayed him to make such a decision?"

"Wasn't me; he decided all on his own. But his friends..." the bean chuckled, "...now they were a different story."

"And how did you manage to get past them?" the ghost questioned, leaning in curiously.

"Simple: I used the Moby Morpher to turn myself into the little cheddar ball, and distracted them long enough for Omi to do his thing, all the while keeping the Serpent's Tail up my sleeve to make them think that I was just another one of his shadow clones playing tricks on them."

"Brilliant! They won't suspect a thing!"

"And even if they do by some slim chance figure out it was me, I had them trapped, so there's nothing they can do about it."

The ghost and the bean chuckled deviously.

Little did they know that Chase was in a room not too far off from where they were, and he could make out every word they were saying. _No, I cannot allow this to happen; I must go warn the young monk before it is too late._

Chase couldn't deny the fact any longer: he loved the young monk dearly, and he would never be able to live with himself if he let him fall victim to the same trap he had years ago.

* * *

Omi stirred the remaining ingredients into the soup, his mind racing. _This may be wrong, but I am doing it for a good purpose..._The monk reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out a bowl. _I am doing this for love. _Hesitantly, he reached over and grabbed the ladle off the counter. _The only way our love can exist is if one of us switches sides-and I know Chase Young is not switching over to the side of good anytime soon-so I have no other choice. _The monk continued to ponder as he spooned some of the soup into his bowl, its foul aroma making him sick to his stomach. _Ugh...how can Chase stand this?!_

Hands trembling furiously, he slowly raised the steaming bowl to his lips. _Well, here goes nothing..._

* * *

Chase continued to whisk through the halls at inhuman speeds, his heart pounding painfully against his ribcage. _Almost there..._ He kept his gaze fixated straight ahead, gradually increasing his pace.

* * *

"Hannibal, did I ever mention how absolutely ingenious you are?"

"Please, it's gonna take more than flattery to earn a place at my side."

Suddenly, their words were interrupted by the sound of smashing glass.

Hannibal nodded knowingly. "Well, it looks like our plan is finally complete; I can't wait to see what we created."


	10. Chapter 10

_Well, here goes nothing..._

After a slight hesitation, Omi raised the bowl to his lips, preparing to take in the soup.

Everything was going according to plan.

Suddenly, with the bowl merely inches from his lips, Omi felt his heart stop dead in his chest as a figure appeared in the doorway.

"Chase Young!" he exclaimed, jolting back and allowing some of the soup to spill over the edge of the bowl, the droplets burning straight through the floor.

There he stood, the last person he could have hoped to be caught with-even more petrifying than his friends-the one he loved more than anything else. At that moment, when their eyes locked, Omi could see something shatter inside Chase, and he too felt something shatter within himself as a result.

Chase leaned against the doorway, panting, trying to say something, _anything_, but his voice wouldn't seem to comply; he was completely frozen in disbelief. "Omi..." he finally managed, his voice barely above a strained whisper, "What...what are you...?"

"Chase..." Omi stared at him in remorse, "I was-"

"I thought I specifically told you not to drink the Lao Mang Long soup..." he hissed sternly.

Omi narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling defiant. "Since when do I take orders from you?" he snapped. "Besides, it's the only way you'll ever show me any affection, or even acknowledge me for that matter."

Chase clenched his teeth, doing his best to suppress what he really wanted to say: _Foolish monk, I only acted the way I did to protect you, because I love you! _"Young monk..." he growled, "I order you to stop this at once!"

"Try and stop me!" Omi clenched his eyes shut, preparing to drink the soup once more.

Chase flinched. _No...I will not allow him to defy me like this!_

Omi's eyes shot wide open as the cool rim of the bowl was suddenly replaced by a pair of warm lips, and the bowl was sent crashing to the floor, soup and glass shards spewing everywhere. At first, he was in complete shock, but his eyelids gradually fluttered closed as he leaned into the kiss.

Chase continued to caress Omi's lips with his own as the two of them pressed their bodies closer together, both savoring the warmth that they were radiating. Omi reached up and began to run his fingers through Chase's long, silky hair, his heart pulsating rapidly in his chest.

At that moment, he couldn't have felt any more content.

* * *

"Well," Hannibal grinned, "it looks like our plan is finally complete. I can't wait to see what we created."

"Indeed!" the ghost exclaimed, following eagerly behind him.

The two rushed down the halls until they reached the large area that led into the kitchen. Hannibal hopped over to the doorway, peering in slightly, and his expression immediately turned sour.

"Is he in there?" the ghost questioned.

"Yeah," Hannibal said with a sneer, "they're in there alright."

"_They?!" _Wuya floated over to Hannibal's side, and her eyes grew wide at what she saw.

There they were-Omi and Chase, lips locked, bodies intertwined. And there was the soup-what was left of it-spilled all over the floor.

"No!" the ghost shrieked.

"So, what I've heard is true: Chase Young is in love," The bean smirked. "Who would have ever thought it possible?"

"It's sickening," Wuya stated bluntly.

"True," Hannibal nodded, "but it's just what we need."

"What are you talking about?"

"'Cause, the more he falls head over heels for the little cheese ball, the more he'll need him," Hannibal grinned deviously, "which gives him that much more reason to let him swing over to the dark side."

"Oh please, he cares too much about his precious _Omi _to let anything happen to him," the ghost grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"He'll come around; just gotta give it some time, you see," Hannibal turned and hopped onto the window sill.

"Where are you going?" she snarled.

The bean turned over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it; just know that you probably won't see me for awhile. But when you do..." he chuckled, "...trust me, you'll know." And with that, he hopped onto his bird and soared off into the night.

The ghost blinked in surprise. Try as she may, she would never be able to figure that bean out. She floated over to the doorway and took one last peek at the two lovers entwined, fighting back the warm grin that was threatening to creep across her face. She watched as the two finally pulled apart, and she let out a small giggle before fleeing from the scene.

"Chase..." Omi stared up at the immortal as their lips finally parted, caressing his cheek with his tiny hand.

Chase leaned away, blushing. "Don't think this means I am in any way returning your feelings; I was merely trying to calm you down, so you wouldn't do anything irrational."

"And that was the only way you could think of?"

The blush on Chase's face grew ten-fold. "I-I panicked, okay?!"

"I see," Omi said, grinning smugly. It was unusual to see Chase so flustered; he kind of liked it. He was suddenly overcome by a warm feeling, but the feeling slowly dissipated as he stared down at his shoes, completely drenched, reminding him of the true situation at hand.

Chase noticed Omi's faltering expression and frowned. "Omi, little one..." he gently placed a hand under the monk's chin and tilted it upwards, "You must not allow your feelings for me to become too overwhelming; it will only make it harder when the time comes for us to part for good."

"I understand, but it's...not that."

Chase raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I..." Omi lowered his head, "...I can't believe I almost betrayed them like that."

"Yes, what you did was very unwise, young monk; you nearly gave up everything for your own selfish desires. You're no better than that foolish wind dragon."

"Raimundo..." Omi growled. "But, he has changed since then, and me...I have not. And that is why he is the leader, not me..." Omi sighed. "Perhaps I was not meant to be a Xiaolin dragon after all..."

"No, do not speak that way; the Xiaolin side is where you belong. You're beginning to think irrationally-from a lack of sleep, most likely. You need to get home and rest."

"But...I don't want to leave you, Chase..." Omi clung tighter to the immortal.

"I understand, but it is for the best."

Chase had always believed that if you kept telling a lie, everyone would start to believe it, until eventually, it became true. If only he hadn't become less convinced every time he said it.

"No..." Omi muttered, "How can that be?"

It appeared Omi wasn't too convinced either.

Chase let out a deep sigh. "Young monk..." he placed a hand on Omi's head, "Sometimes, in order to maintain balance, we must make sacrifices, even if that means giving up the things we love most..." His words were cut short by the sound of Omi's laughter. "What?!"

"Sorry," Omi said, chortling, "You are starting to sound like Master Fung-" Omi felt a pang in his heart at the mention of his master, and his laughter slowly ceased. He sighed remorsefully. "I really must go apologize..."

"Indeed you must, little one."

Omi turned to the doorway, then paused. He looked over at Chase with grieving eyes. "Will...I ever see you again?"

"...I don't know," was all he could muster.

Omi's expression dropped. "Well, if this is goodbye..." The monk walked over to Chase, and after much hesitation, gave him a quick, but meaningful peck on the cheek before turning and bolting out the door.

Chase slowly brought a hand to his cheek, feeling the warmth that was left behind by Omi's lips.

Suddenly, Wuya floated in out of nowhere. "Aww," she gushed, "what an adorable couple you two would make!"

Chase let out a growl, his cheeks burning. "Someone really wants to go back in their puzzle box, don't they?"

"Ha!" Wuya scoffed. "You don't even know how to open it! You had Jack help you, remember?"

"Don't remind me," he snarled. "Where is Spicer? I haven't heard anything from him since the showdown."

"Who knows? Probably off building something useless again. Besides, it's only been two days."

The immortal brought a hand to his forehead. "It feels like it's been weeks..."

"Tell me about it!" the ghost exclaimed.

"And yet, so much has happened..." his gaze shifted down to the floor, "...more than I ever could have hoped."

* * *

"Golden Tiger Claws!"

In a flash, Omi reappeared in the bedroom hallway, puzzled by the set of empty mats. "Where could they be?" He veered around the corner, only to be caught off guard by the sight of his friends scattered helplessly around the room, trapped in the clutches of various Shen Gong Wu. The monk let out a gasp. "My friends! What has happened to you?" Omi immediately rushed to aid his fellow monks.

Raimundo fell to the floor as Omi undid the webs he was tangled in. He leapt to his feet, ready to strike if needed.

"Raimundo!" Omi stumbled back. "What are you doing?"

"Careful guys, this could be another fake!"

Suddenly, Omi came to a realization: this whole mess was the work of his shadow clone. _Wow, I did not know that he...I would go that far. _He sighed heavily. "No, it is really me."

"Hmm," Raimundo reached out hesitantly and tapped Omi on the shoulder, immediately jerking his hand away with the expectation that it would go right through him, but much to his surprise, he actually felt it. "Omi?" Raimundo's expression slowly turned bitter, and he gave the monk a hard shove. "What's the matter with you?! Why'd you run off like that?"

"Yeah," Kimiko muttered, "we were really worried about you."

Omi lowered his head shamefully, "I...I cannot tell you."

"Well, why in tarnation not?" Clay inquired.

"Because, if I did, you would never look at me the same way again."

The monks exchanged worried glances.

"Hey..." Raimundo took a closer look at Omi. "Your shoes-they're totally soiled. And," he sniffed the monk, "you smell rank, dude!"

Omi gulped.

"Yeah," Clay added, "Come to think of it, it does have a familiar scent to it-sorta like that time Dojo fell on the barbecue."

"But how can that be?" Kimiko raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why would Omi smell like...barbecued dragon?"

"The only no good ombre I know that would do that is..."

"..._Chase Young_," Raimundo finished with a scowl.

Omi felt a cold sweat forming on his face. _They've figured it out! And if they piece it together with my shoes..._ he shuddered, _I am a dead piece of beef!_

"I just don't understand this thing you've got going on with Chase. He's one of the baddest dudes out there-pure evil incarnate, if you will-and you...you're just the opposite: innocent, kind, loyal, and, well..." Raimundo cocked his head to the side, "..._good._"

"Yeah," Clay shook his head, "it's like tryin' to breed a sewer rat with a stallion-it just don't work."

"Chase Young is not a sewer rat!" Omi snapped venomously. "And he is not completely evil; just as I..." he lowered his head, "...am not completely good."

"Hey now," Clay protested, "Now why do you say that?"

"Because, when I went to visit Chase, I...I almost..."

"Almost _what?_"

The monks leaned in curiously.

"...never mind," Omi yawned. "I am most tired; I think I will go to bed."

Everyone's eyes were fixated on Omi as he entered his room and settled down onto his mat.

_As the saying goes, what they do not know...will not hurt them._ The monk rolled over, soon drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, the monks gathered out on the training field.

Master Fung paced back and forth, examining the group carefully. "Where's Omi?"

"Still asleep," Raimundo stated bluntly.

"Is that so?" The old master raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, probably dreaming about Chase too," he added with an eye roll. "I heard him saying his name all night in his sleep, and when I walked in there this morning, he was hugging his pillow with this big, mushy grin on his face."

Clay scratched his head. "I feel like we missed something big time..."


	11. Chapter 11

"You ready, Omi?"

"Yes!" the monk exclaimed, stumbling into his fighting position.

Raimundo snorted. "Really? You don't look ready. In fact, you look like you were off in a daze again. That's the third time today, Omi. How are you ever gonna get any better if you can't focus?"

"He's right, you know."

The sudden noise caused them to turn abruptly over their shoulders. The revelation of the stranger's face produced mixed reactions from the monks, most of them coming from Omi.

"Chase!" Omi stepped back breathlessly, his expression of shock slowly morphing into one of adoration. "What are you doing here?"

"Why do you think? I came to see you, my little monk."

Omi's cheeks turned a deep scarlet. "But the others will not be too happy about this..." he murmured through his teeth.

"Forget about them," Chase said with a smirk. "Right now, we must focus on your fighting."

Omi's posture bolted upright, though the fluttering was still present in his chest. "Right!" he exclaimed. He would have preferred they focus on something else, but with his fellow monks surrounding him, that probably wouldn't go over too well.

"Assume your fighting position!"

Omi did so.

"Now, give me everything you've got!"

"Oh, I will..." Omi grinned slyly before launching himself through the air and bringing himself down on Chase, who rapidly blocked him with his arm. "Ox jumping log!" the monk cried out.

Chase blocked this effortlessly and countered him with an attack of his own. "Bear climbing tree!"

"Goose knitting sweater!"

"Fox making cookies!"

"Snake climbing ladder!"

The two went on like this for awhile. The monks watched in astonishment as Omi met Chase's every move with his own, their bodies in perfect synchronization with one another, as if they had done this thousands of times before.

Meanwhile, Omi was in complete ecstasy. Every touch to the skin, every contact made-no matter how much it stung-was bliss for him.

At last, they pulled apart, both panting and covered in sweat.

"Not bad," Chase said, smirking. "But why don't we take it up a notch?"

The monk's eyes grew wide as Chase removed his heavy armor and tossed it aside, along with his shirt.

The only other time he had seen him like this was when the two encountered each other in the hall of Chase's citadel, the first time he had attempted to drink the soup. Though at the time, Omi's mind was too frazzled to fully appreciate the view. Now, here they were again, under completely different circumstances-the sunlight illuminating every contour of his chiseled body, in contrast to the cold, dreary lighting of the stairwell; his long, raven hair flowing gracefully in the breeze, not at all like the tangled mess it was when he had just aroused from his sleep; his lips curved into a contented smirk, unlike the stony expression he had when he was lecturing him about throwing away his morals; and, most important of all, this time, things were different between them. This time, it was clear how he really felt about him.

"Ready to continue?"

Omi snapped out of his daze, responding to him with a small nod of approval.

Chase noticed the monk's faltering expression, grinning deviously. _I never knew I had such an effect on him; perhaps I can use this to my advantage._

And so, the fight continued. Though this time, their harmony slowly dissipated, until the young monk was no match for the immortal.

Omi let out a small yelp as he was suddenly seized by the wrist.

"You are too easily distracted; we will have to work on that."

Omi smirked, pulling himself closer to Chase. "It is _you _who is causing me so much distraction."

"Oh? Is that so?" Chase loosened his grip on Omi's wrist and wrapped his free arm around the monk's waist, slowly drawing him in. At this point, their noses were nearly touching. "Then perhaps you would like a better teacher."

"N-no..." Omi whimpered, their closeness making it impossible for him to think straight, "I want you."

"Omi..." Chase whispered huskily.

Omi began to close the distance between their lips. He didn't care if his friends were watching in horror; nothing would ruin this moment.

"Omi, _Omi_...OMI!"

Omi was suddenly jolted back into reality by the sound of his friend's petrified screams. "Gah! Raimundo?!"

Kimiko and Clay came to a halt, turning their heads in curiosity.

"Omi," Raimundo stared at the monk with bulging eyes. "What were you..._gahh! _What was that?!"

"I was merely...testing out my new technique! Yes...first, you distract your opponent by pretending you are going to kiss them, and then...you strike! _Yah!_" Omi kicked out swiftly. "I call it my Gong Ji Ai attack."

"But why'd you have to pick me as your test subject?"

"Simple! You were...standing the closest?" Omi said with a chuckle.

Raimundo blinked rapidly, trying his best to shrug it off. "Whatever," he shook his head. "Are we gonna train or what?"

"Yes, let's go!"

And with that, the two resumed their fighting. Omi groaned in dissatisfaction. Though invigorating, it just wasn't the same. If only it had been with a different person...

How Omi longed for the immortal's touch, his brutal force, his sultry voice calling out ridiculous fighting names. With him, it just felt so...natural. Everything about it felt right-not to mention the rush he received from their physical contact. He at least wished there was a way he could see him again.

Just then, it hit him. _Perhaps there is a way..._

"Come on, Omi! At least act like you're trying!"

"Actually, I think I am done for the day," he stated bluntly. "I'll be inside meditating."

Raimundo gawked as the monk turned his back on him and walked into the temple.

"What's with him?" Kimiko pondered.

"I don't know. He's been acting weird all day. I wonder if more happened between him and Chase than he's letting us in on."

"Well, clearly he's got other things on his mind than fighting."

Clay shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it's just the lack of sleep gettin' to him; I know I can never fight to my full potential when I don't get my forty winks."

"Oh yeah, that's totally it..." Raimundo muttered sarcastically.

"I'll go talk to him," Kimiko left the training grounds and headed after Omi. While she really did care for the well-being of her fellow monk, she was also a girl-meaning that she wanted to know every juicy detail of what happened between him and the immortal.

* * *

"No...no...that's not it...nope...nuh uh...no-ooh! Kimiko's diary..." A sly grin spread across Omi's face as he inched his fingers across the cover, but his expression immediately turned somber. "Later," he stated bluntly, tossing it to the side. He continued to rummage through Kimiko's belongings, until at last, he found what he needed. "Ah! Here it is. Now, if I can just figure out how to work this mystical device..."

"Omi?"

Omi jumped. He turned over his shoulder hesitantly. "Oh, hello Kimiko!" he exclaimed, grinning ambiently. "You are just in time-I was about to start my meditation. Care to join me?"

The dragon of fire completely ignored him and stared down at the object in his hands. "Is that my PDA?"

"No...no! Don't be silly!"

"I'm not blind, Omi."

"Are you sure?" he inquired.

Kimiko shot him a dry look, indicating that she was clearly not amused. "Just tell me what's going on."

"Oh, it is against my nature to lie to you, my friend; I hope you can forgive me," the monk bowed his head solemnly. "I was simply going to use your PDA thingy to spy on Hannibal. Yes, I have a feeling he is up to his no good trickery again."

"Hannibal hasn't been around for three years. Now, tell me the real reason you wanna use it."

A heavy blush rose to Omi's cheeks. "Uh...I, uh-"

Kimiko let out a sharp gasp. "I get it!" Her eyes narrowed into slits, a knowing grin slowly making its way across her face. "You wanna spy on Chase, don't you?"

"Never! I do not know where you would get that idea. You must be outside of your mind to think that I would do such a thing. Nope, not me! That is completely _oranges!_ I-"

"Relax, Omi. Unlike those three knuckleheads, I'm totally cool with you and Chase."

"You are?" he muttered, a small grin forming on his lips.

Kimiko nodded sincerely. "Only 'cause I know how it feels to like someone who's not considered trustworthy by your friends."

"Really?" Omi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Who?"

"Uh..." Kimiko felt a blush rising to her cheeks. "So! The PDA...in order for it to work, you're gonna need the Changing Chopsticks and the Mind Reader Conch. The Eye of Dashi had a problem with short circuiting, so now you'll only be able to view it from the screen. I hope that's okay."

"Oh yes, I can live with that."

Several minutes later, they finished piecing the device together.

"Oh, thank you Kimiko. I am most appreciative."

Kimiko beamed. "Have at it." The dragon of fire turned her head as she walked out of the room. As soon as she was out of his sight, she let out a huff of relief. _Good thing he's so naive..._

Silence filled the room, as a question raised in Omi's head. "Who was she talking about?" He sat there for minutes contemplating, until he finally shrugged it off, knowing that he would probably find out eventually. _Now, back to business._

Omi began to start up the device, when suddenly, Chase's words rang in his head: _You must not allow your feelings for me to become too overwhelming. _The monk shook his head. _But...I cannot help it. One does not simply lose feelings of this magnitude so quickly._ "Besides," he continued out loud, "even if he does not wish to see me, it does not mean that I cannot, as they say, 'peep' every once and awhile."

The screen suddenly lit up, eliciting a grin from the monk. "Now, let's see..." Omi tapped around on the device until Chase's image appeared on the screen. "It is my Chasey-Pie!" The monk clutched the PDA tight to his chest, giggling endlessly. "Wow, I am really starting to sound like a _girl_..." He shook it off, adjusting the volume until he could hear his voice clearly.

"_Tomorrow, I will be leaving to visit an old friend. I am most certain that she has what I need, so that I can solve this Omi problem once and for all._"

"Old friend? An old _female _friend? _Omi problem_?!" A low growl resonated from Omi's throat. "I do not believe this! What does she have that I don't have? Well, besides being female, and eternal life, and I bet she is very pretty too..." Omi averted his gaze from the screen, his eyes filled with remorse.

Suddenly, his head snapped back up, as another thought entered his mind. "He also said that he will be gone, which means..." Omi felt a wave of mixed emotions churn in his stomach with the sudden realization. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "There is no better time-I must do it now!" He froze. "But...no, I-I couldn't..."

Thoughts of his friends, his master, his home life, all rushed through his head in a blur, making him sick to his stomach. But then, those thoughts suddenly came to a standstill and morphed into an image of Chase, and his female friend, leaning over the cliff of his citadel, their lips brushing together softly, intertwined in a heated embrace. Everything else in his mind became blacked out as a spotlight blazed on this gruesome image.

"No!" he growled. "I will not allow this to happen! _I forbid it! _I know I was meant to be with Chase Young-I can feel my instincts screaming it! And the only way for that to be fulfilled...is if I drink the Lao Mang Long soup and cross over to the dark side!" Omi rose to his feet, his gaze fixed ahead somberly. "It may not be the path I would have chosen, but it is what must be..." Chase's image entered his head, causing his lips to curve up into a loving grin, "...for the greater good!"


	12. Chapter 12

"And I want this place spotless! I want no reminders of what almost happened last night. Do I make myself clear?"

Chase's tigers gave him a nod of agreement before going back to cleaning.

Wuya floated into the room. "My, someone seems tense."

"You would be too if you were dealing with the circumstances that I am right now."

"You stopped him, didn't you?"

"Yes, but how do we know he's not going to try again? And again? And _again_?" The immortal suddenly raised his voice. "How do we know, that the moment my back is turned, he's not going to slip right past my radar and do something that he will regret for the rest of his life?"

"He is a persistent little one, isn't he?"

"Indeed," Chase lowered his tone a bit. "Which is why I need to find a solution to this problem as quickly as possible."

"And just what do you have in mind?"

"Tomorrow, I will be leaving to visit an old friend. I am most certain that she has what I need, so that I can solve this Omi problem once and for all."

Wuya let out a sharp gasp. "You don't mean...?"

"Yes. I am going to visit Mei to ask her for a way to make Omi immortal, without making him evil."

"_Mei?!_ She's a total basket case! Besides, if you were to return me to my human form, I might have a few spells up my sleeve that could help you-"

"Forget it. You and I both know that's a lie."

"But, but...!"

"This is not up for discussion."

Wuya let out a growl. "Fine! Go visit the crazy old witch!"

"Yes. And who knows, she might even be a step up from you," Chase added with a devious smirk, eliciting another growl from the ghost.

* * *

The next day, Chase set off to a secluded area in the mountains where his friend lived-it was so obscurely hidden that he had nearly flown right past it on the way there. For some reason, that seemed typical of her.

It had been centuries since he'd last seen her, and he wondered if she had any memories of him. Though he, without a doubt, remembered her. How could he forget?

At last, he landed firmly on the terrain and made his way through the thick fog, until he could finally make out the figure of a woman.

The woman turned over her shoulder, revealing her face. "Well, if it isn't Chase Young," she beamed. "My, how the years have been kind to you."

"Enough talk. I'm here to ask a favor of you."

"Three-hundred years and I don't even get a proper greeting? Well, it always was like you to get straight to the point. So impatient..."

"Yes, and you were always big on small talk, liked to drag things out much longer than they needed to be."

"Perhaps that was why we could never be."

Chase grimaced. _Now I remember-this woman had chased me for years, driven by that creepy obsession she had with me. Perhaps Wuya was right..._ "Don't even bother; I've already met with the one I'm destined to be with, and believe me, it's not you."

"She's not one of those humans, is she? Chase, you deserve better than those _worms_."

"_His _name is Omi, and you'd be surprised what 'worms' like him are capable of."

"Hmm...I'd like to take a closer look at this..._Omi _creature."

Before Chase had time to react, he suddenly found himself entangled in a mess of serpents that had sprouted from Mei's head. They constricted him in a choking tight grip, sinking their teeth mercilessly into the immortal's flesh every time he tried to make a movement.

Mei watched in pleasure, her psychotic eyes bulging out of her skull, spurts of erratic chuckles erupting from her throat.

One of the snakes suddenly morphed into a vine and plunged itself into Chase's ear. Chase winced as the thorns probed around in his head until they reached their destination: his mind.

Mei's eyes sunk into the back of her head, the remaining sockets lighting up in a bluish hue, as she began examining Chase's thoughts and memories. At last, she fixated on an image of Omi. "Ah, so _he's_ the one..." Her expression grew sour. "And, let's see, he's madly in love with you, but you've been turning down his affections because you're afraid of losing him. How..._touching_."

Chase growled in desperation. As much as he struggled, he couldn't get her out of his head.

"But," she continued, "secretly, you love him in ways unimaginable, and the thought of being away from him tears you up inside."

Chase felt his cheeks burning, from straining his body in an attempt to free himself, and for another reason that he couldn't quite figure out.

"If only there was a way to solve the immortality issue..." she mused, twirling one of the snakes around her finger.

"Mei..." he choked, "Get..._out_...!"

Finally satisfied, she retracted her serpents back into her skull until they once again took on the form of her hair. Chase fell to the ground, gasping for air. He carefully propped himself up on his hands, wincing at some of the wounds he received from the serpents' fangs. He was already in a much weaker state than when he arrived; he knew he had to be cautious with her.

"I believe I understand better now. You came here to ask me for an immortality spell, to help your little _worm_."

At that moment, Chase wanted nothing more than to grab her slithering hair and rip it from its roots, but he was in no state to fight, so he decided to hold back. "Yes..." he gasped. "Can...you do that?"

Mei chuckled. "Of course. Who do you think I am? _Wuya_?"

Chase couldn't help but smirk; there always had been tension between the two of them.

"I'll do the spell for you. But I must warn you: there is a price."

"And what is that?"

Mei crept towards Chase, placing a hand under his chin. "I think you know what I want."

"Forget it," he growled, slapping her hand away.

"But what about your _Omi_?" she taunted.

"He is exactly the reason I refuse to comply with your orders. I may be evil, but I would never stoop so low as to shatter the heart of the only being left that matters to me."

"Please, he's nothing but an insect! And you know insects, with their short lifespans..." she chuckled deviously, "They die off so quickly."

Chase dug his fingers into the terrain, trying to suppress his rage. "No..." he snarled, "...I forbid you to talk about him that way!"

"What's going to stop me? Besides, you know it's the truth."

The ground began to crack under the pressure of Chase's strength. He tried with all of his efforts to refrain from doing anything drastic, but he knew it wouldn't be long before he finally snapped.

"My, no need to get angry now," Mei curled her fingers upwards with a wicked grin, and bursts of lava began shooting out of the cracks in the ground. Chase pulled his hands back, seething in pain from the burns he received.

Mei relaxed her hands and placed them on her hips. "Hmm, so you're not fighting back. Is it because I'm a lady? Or are you just too weak?"

Chase knew there was no way he would be able to fight in his condition. The venom had already began to spread through his bloodstream, and he could feel himself becoming light-headed. Not to mention, he was at an even greater disadvantage with his hands rendered useless. He knew he had no other option than to get out of there, and fast. There was no telling what she would try to pull next.

"What's this? Leaving so soon?"

Chase ignored her and continued struggling to his feet. Once he was able to maintain his balance, he staggered off in the other direction.

Mei snarled. "I don't think so..."

Chase fought to stay on his feet as he trudged forward, dodging every furious blast that was fired at him from behind.

"You won't be able to run from me much longer. See that lake up ahead? It's toxic. Once you inhale the fumes, you will fall into a deep sleep, of which you won't be awakened from for years!"

Chase froze, but his lips slowly curved upwards with a realization. "If that's true, I'll bet the lake affects you just as much as it affects me."

"Don't be ridiculous! I've lived here for centuries; the fumes don't affect me anymore."

"Really?" _This may be my only chance to escape. It's risky, but if I'm right..._ Chase stopped at the edge of the lake. He clenched his eyes shut and took in a deep breath before plunging into the water.

"Wh-what are you-" she sputtered, "Are you _mad_?!"

Chase jerked his head above the surface, gasping for air. He could already feel sleep beginning to overtake him, but he had to continue with this; it was all he had left. "What's the matter? Don't you still wish to pursue me?"

Mei clenched her teeth. _No, I can't go after him...if I get any closer, the fumes will be too much for me! But I can't let him know that... _"You wouldn't dare..."

"Watch me..." Chase grinned devilishly before turning and beginning a steady pace through the water. His eyelids felt as though they were made of marble, and it took everything in him to keep them from slamming down and imprisoning him in deep sleep. He tried not to focus on the physical pain, or the growing fatigue; instead, he focused his mind on an image of Omi. He pictured the young monk waiting for him in the hall of his citadel, calling out his name. _Yes...for him...I...just need...to stay...awake..._

"No!" Mei shrieked. "You will not leave!" The witch raised her hands, and the sky became flooded with dark storm clouds.

The waves thrashed Chase about, the rain sliced into his skin, he faltered, but never stopped. _I'm...almost there..._ He kept telling this to himself, kept lying to himself, with the slightest chance that it would soon become true. In reality, he could no longer see any shoreline in sight; even Mei's thrashing figure had become a faint shadow off in the distance. A wave came down hard and dragged him beneath the surface. He let himself drift for a moment, if only for a brief moment of rest, and his head broke the surface once more. He hacked violently, coughing up mouthfulls of lake water, the looming shadow of sleep slowly darkening out his senses. He knew he wouldn't last much longer. _Mei was right...what was I thinking? I should have listened to her. Wuya...I should have listened to HER! If I hadn't been so intent on making it so that Omi would live forever, I might actually be there with him now, with the time that he has remaining... _Before drifting off to sleep, his mouth curved up into a crooked grin, and he chuckled at the irony of it all. "Well, young monk, after all that has happened, it looks like I will come to pass before you. Who would have ever thought?"


	13. Chapter 13

"Omi," his master looked down at him, his expression stern. "This has got to stop."

"Yeah," Raimundo groaned, "you've been spacing out on us for the past three days. It's like you don't even care anymore!"

_They may be right, _the monk pondered inwardly. _Perhaps I don't care, because I will not be doing this much longer. Soon, I will be leaving them._

Master Fung noticed Omi falling into another daze, and he suddenly raised his voice, causing Omi to jump. "If this is about Chase Young, then I suggest you snap out of it." The old master normally had such a calm demeanor; it startled the monks to see him that way. "There is no place for someone like him in your life, and I will not allow him to get in the way of your training any longer."

Clay leaned against the wall, twirling his hat around his hand. "Hate to say it, partner, but I think they're right."

Kimiko sat back and watched in silence as they lectured her fellow monk. As much as she wished to intervene, she knew it wouldn't do much good for her friend. All she could do was bite her lip and wait it out.

"Yes," Omi lowered his head. "You are right. My performance as a Xiaolin monk has been most shameful. But lately, I have had so much to think about. Perhaps I just need to take a long walk to clear my mind."

Master Fung nodded approvingly. "That sounds like a fine idea, young monk."

"Sounds good to me," Raimundo added with a shrug.

After everything that had happened, the dragon of fire couldn't believe the naivety of her fellow monks. Although, it could have just been her being over analytical-she was a girl, after all. But as the young monk spoke, Kimiko could see something in his eyes, something odd in his demeanor, that implied that he was planning to do more than just take a walk. But for some reason, she couldn't find it in her to stop him. _He knows what he has to do...why should I get in his way? Besides, it's just another visit to Chase; it's not like it's anything life-altering._

* * *

After a long journey, Omi finally reached the entrance of Chase's citadel. Any missing Shen Gong Wu would have caused suspicion, so he was forced to complete the trip on foot. _Here I am..._ He stood for a brief moment before pushing the large doors open and allowing himself inside. _I just hope I don't run into Wuya. But, since I don't have any Shen Gong Wu on me, it won't be as easy for her to sense me..._ he shivered, ..._I hope._

With every step he took up the never ending staircase, the louder his heart pounded in his chest. His mind continuously flashed to his friends, his master, Chase, but he shook his head, trying with his best efforts to erase the thoughts.

"If they want to come after me, let them. If they want to stop me, let them try. But I've already made up my mind, and I will not let anything stand in my way. Chase may be furious with me, but as the years begin to pass, he will see too that I have made the right decision. After all, I am doing this for him."

With the mixture finally complete, he took the bowl into his hands. He stared down into the liquid, his murky reflection giving him a look of desperation. _'Please, don't do this...'_ he appeared to be saying. Omi hesitated before snatching a spoon off the counter and jamming it violently into the bowl, causing the reflection to become a jumbled mess. He took in a deep breath, and finally, he raised the bowl to his lips and allowed the hot liquid to burn down his throat. The metal spoon fell to the floor with a clang. Then came the bowl, smashing to pieces and littering the room with glass shards and soup. Omi followed shortly after. The monk let out a strangled gasp as his body violently hit the floor. The pain...it was unbearable!

"Aaagh! N-_no_...!" There had to be a way out of this. He didn't want this anymore. It didn't have to end this way. "Chase! _CHASE!"_ Omi continued to cry out his name in agony, but it was too late. He could already feel the transformation beginning. Another scream ripped from his throat as his skin began to melt away and take on the form of something much more scaly. He could feel his insides twisting and clenching and rearranging. He continued to writhe in agony, the excruciating pain escalating with every second that passed. Soon, it became so overwhelming that he could no longer think rationally, he could no longer feel the ground beneath him. Was it finally over?

* * *

"I can only imagine the things he's gotten himself into this time...all for this boy! He must really love him." Wuya chuckled to herself. "If I still had a beating heart, I might actually find that sweet. Huh?" The ghost whipped over her shoulder, suddenly sensing someone's presence. "Someone's here? Who could it be now?" She let out a grumble before flying to the entrance of the citadel.

"Of course he'll listen to you. After all, you were the one who helped him free the ghost hag from her puzzle box," The boy genius grinned to himself in satisfaction. "You're not as incompetent as everyone thinks, so asking him for this small favor shouldn't be too much of a problem. What is there to worry about? Well, besides him tearing me to shreds..." he shivered for a moment, but his air of confidence immediately returned. "I'll just go in there, and-"

"Jack! Why are you here?"

"Not to see you," he retorted, slipping right past her.

"He's not here!" she snapped, causing him to freeze in his tracks. "He's off getting himself into some kind of trouble again."

"Let me guess...Omi, right?"

The ghost chuckled innocently. "Why do you say that?" _How does HE know...?_

"Well, when he gets back, tell him..."

Jack's words slowed to a halt as the wall of Chase's citadel was suddenly broken down. Out the gaping hole came a large serpent-like creature. The creature let out a strangled hiss as it slithered off into the forest at an alarming speed, taking out more than a few trees along the way.

Jack stood there for three seconds before letting out a petrified scream and bolting off in the other direction. "I'M GOING HOME!"

Wuya's eyes grew wide. "That creature..." she pondered, "...could it be?"

* * *

It was over. It was all over. He had been sure of it.

He could hardly feel anything around him anymore; it was as if it had all just faded to black. Was this it? Was this the end?

Suddenly, he felt something warm press against his cheek. He _felt _something. _Is this...am I...? No, th-that's impossible. After all the horrible things I've done in my life, there is no way that I could be- _His thoughts were rudely cut short by a cold sharpness on his back. He forced his eyes open, the warm softness becoming more abundant as his senses slowly returned to him. His arms outstretched, he attempted to prop himself up to look around, to take in his surroundings, but he was violently brought back down by another wave. _Wait...the lake...am I...did I...? _His head shot up with a sudden realization. _Omi! I must get back to him before he does anything irrational! How long have I been here? Something could have happened already for all I know! _Chase let out a growl of frustration before struggling to his feet and propelling himself into the air. He was still drained beyond belief, but that stubborn fighting spirit hadn't left him just yet. He would use everything he had to get back, even if it meant his own demise. If it really was the end, he at least wanted to see Omi one last time.

There was no way he could run from it any longer. He clenched his eyes shut before muttering the words to himself, in an attempt to make them real: "I...love him."


	14. Chapter 14

After what seemed like an eternity, Chase could finally make out the figure of his citadel off in the distance. In reality, he had only been flying for an hour, maybe two, but with the current circumstances, and everything that was at stake, each second dragged out to a minute, and minutes to hours. He prayed that his efforts wouldn't be in vain.

At last, he reached the top of the staircase and collapsed onto the ground. He had to admit, even for someone with his stamina, he was quite impressed with himself. After everything Mei had unleashed upon him, he was amazed that he was still breathing.

Without further hesitation, he rushed down the halls in the direction of the dungeon-like room that was the kitchen. He had no idea what he would find there, or if he would like it, but it had to be done.

As he neared the room, his nose picked up the scent of something strong. _No, this can't be good..._

Using whatever remaining energy he had left, he rammed himself through the doors, without even bothering to turn the handles. He glanced frantically around the room-no sign of Omi. _Perhaps I was worried for noth-_

His thoughts were cut short by the sound of something crunching under his feet. _Glass...?_ He peered down at the ground, and his eyes went wide at the sight of the mess before him. _No...it can't be..._

Chase searched every corner of his citadel for any sign of Omi, but to no prevail. As he passed down the halls, he winced at the damage that was inflicted on his home-crumbling walls, ceiling tiles everywhere, ancient valuables all smashed to pieces-but there was something that caught his attention and caused him to freeze in his path: a large, gaping hole in the west wall.

He walked over to the hole, carefully examining its shape and size, and he shook his head knowingly. "So, my predictions were correct..." He closed his eyes, surprisingly calm about all of this. "I must go warn the monks."

* * *

"Guys, I'm kinda worried about Omi."

"He'll be back, Rai," Kimiko said, her voice filled with confidence. "He's only been gone for a few hours, and besides, this wouldn't be the first time he's left us for this long."

"You sound so sure about that, but look what happened to Grand Master Dashi! The guy left his friends for a few hours, and those hours turned into days, then months, and after no signs of him for about a year, he was finally declared dead."

"That could have just been the media trying to overdramatize everything. He probably just ran off somewhere to escape all the publicity."

"Man," Clay shook his head in disbelief, "even 1500 years ago, those no good paparazzi were still the same dirty snakes they are today."

"Did they even have paparazzi back then?" Raimundo pondered.

"I'll bet they did," Kimiko said disdainfully, "People are so nosy."

"Hn, I bet the little yellow guy would like all that attention. It's probably why he ran off in the first place."

Clay nodded. "Well, let's just hope he makes a safe retur-"

"CLAY!" the monks shouted at him in unison.

"What? What is it?"

"There's something in the window..." Raimundo said, pointing a hand shakily towards the large, circular window of the training hall as he slowly backed away.

"And it's moving..." Kimiko added with a small squeak.

Clay snorted. "Now, what are you guys talkin' abou-WHAAGH!" The cowboy let out a yelp as the wall was broken down and he was attacked from behind.

"LOOK OUT!" the monks cried, a few seconds too late.

Clay reached desperately for his hat, which had fallen onto the ground, but he was unable to stretch his arms far enough. He glanced up at the creature that had him pinned to the ground, and he let out a long whistle. "I don't know how I'm gonna get myself outta this one..."

Raimundo let out a yelp at the sight of the serpent-like creature. "What _is_ that thing?!"

"Whatever it is," Kimiko muttered, "we can't let it get out of the temple!"

"_WHAT?!_" Raimundo shrieked. "Are you loco? You wanna keep it _here_?!"

"Well, we can't let it get into town! There's no telling what could happen!"

Raimundo growled. "Alright, you big, oversized cobra, it's time we show you what happens when you mess with a shoku warrior!" The dragon of wind launched himself at the creature, only to be seized by its tail and flung violently into the wall. "O...kay..." he groaned, "Now you're just asking for it..."

The creature hissed in response.

Suddenly, everything in the room came to a halt as the sound of sirens reverberated throughout the temple.

"The vault!" Kimiko cried.

The dragon of fire rushed down to the vault, followed by Raimundo, and Clay, who had managed to wriggle himself free from the creature's grasp.

When they arrived, they weren't at all enthused by what they saw.

"Sup, losers?"

Kimiko let out a growl. "Jack..." she groaned, her cheeks slowly turning a shade of red. Not wanting to give herself away, she tried her best to remain calm, yet firm. "Step away from the wu!"

"Why don't you make us?" another female voice chimed in, as she crawled out from behind the vault, her arms overflowing with Shen Gong Wu.

"Ugh..." The dragon of fire groaned. "Cat litter."

Katnappe let out a hiss. "We're stealing your wu, and there's nothing you mutts can do about it!"

"That's right!" Jack exclaimed. "There ain't no fancy Xiaolin dance routines that you can pull out to get rid of us. We are unstoppable, unbreakable, and untouchable, baby!" Jack broke into a fit of menacing laughter, causing the monks to groan in irritation at his stupidity.

Suddenly, Jack's laughter was cut short by a small piece of ceiling plonking him on the head. "Eh?" He glanced up at the cracks forming in the ceiling, and his eyes grew wide. "H-hey, what gives..._AAGH_!" The boy genius let out a startled scream as a huge chunk of the ceiling came crashing down, dodging into the corner for protection.

Everyone stood in silence as the dust cleared out of the air, revealing the large, serpent-like creature.

Jack took one look at the creature and let out a high-pitched shriek. He flung his stolen Shen Gong Wu onto the ground and retreated up the stairs of the vault. "Keep your wu," he cried, "I'm outta here!"

Katnappe snarled. "Jack! Ohh, you're such a baby..." She turned to the creature. "I'll take care of this thing...feline style!"

Katnappe flicked out her wrists, releasing a line of claw-shaped blades. She grinned in satisfaction as the creature was pinned to the wall. "Aww, whatsa matter," she taunted, as if she was speaking to a small child, "Did you get yourself all tangled up in a ball of yarn? Ha! Guess it wasn't that hard for me to CATch you!" She erupted into a fit of giggles and purrs.

"Ugh," Kimiko groaned, "Someone please get her out of here."

Katnappe continued laughing at her own puns, when suddenly, the creature pried itself from the wall, sending the blades flying right back at her. She pounced out of the way, letting out a cat-like shriek. "Jack!" she cried, "You idiot...wait for me!" And with that, she was gone.

Kimiko let out a huff of relief. "Glad that's over."

"But we still got a bigger problem," Raimundo said, turning his attention to the now seething creature.

"Everyone, back away from him at once!"

All of the monks turned their heads at the sudden noise. A figure lept down swiftly through the hole in the ceiling, and that figure appeared to be none other than...

"_Chase Young_?!" the monks exclaimed in perfect harmony.

Raimundo narrowed his eyes. "What are _you _doing here?" he spat venomously.

"There's no time," Chase uttered breathlessly, "we must act quickly!"

"Where's Omi?" Kimiko questioned.

"Yeah," Raimundo snarled, "What did you do with him?"

Chase growled in frustration. "You fools don't understand...that creature IS Omi!"

"_What?!_" Kimiko let out a startled cry.

Raimundo, suddenly overcome with a wave of arrogance, marched over to Chase and jabbed a finger against his chest plate. "You listen to me, dragon breath, you're gonna tell us what you did to Omi, and then we won't have to tear you apart, shoku style!"

Chase brushed Raimundo off with ease, rolling his eyes in irritation. "There's no time to explain-we have to give him _this_," Chase pulled out a container filled with a strange liquid.

"Is that...?"

"...Lao Mang Long soup. It is the only way to return him to his human form."

Raimundo gawked at Chase. "Are you gonna tell me what's goin' on? Why would Omi need to-"

"The young monk has already gone against my orders by drinking the soup the first time, and he must continue to drink it at regular intervals, or he will be stuck in this horrid beast form."

The serpent Omi turned to them and let out a loud hiss.

"You three hold him down, and I will be the one to give him the soup."

"But-"

"Hurry!"

Kimiko and Clay lept into action without a second thought, but Raimundo continued to stand there with a puzzled look on his face. "I don't get it..." he muttered to himself, "Why would Omi want to drink the Lao Mang Long soup?"

"It appears you do not know your friend as well as you thought."

Chase's voice caused Raimundo to jump. He didn't realize that he had heard him.

"That's okay," Chase continued, "because neither do I."

Raimundo could sense the remorse in the immortal's voice, and he almost felt a tinge of sympathy for him..._almost_.

The dragon of wind knew this was all his doing-it had to be, right? Why else would Omi...?

"Raimundo!" The dragon of fire caused Raimundo to snap out of his daze.

"We could really use your help, partner," Clay said, as he struggled to keep a hold on Omi.

"Ah...hang on, guys!" Raimundo rushed over to his struggling friends and prepared himself. "Okay, Omi, this is for your own good...!" The dragon of wind lept into the air and seized a tight hold around the serpent's torso. Omi writhed and squirmed, and Raimundo flew from wall to wall, still managing to hang on for dear life.

"Now," Chase said, "we just need to hold him long enough to-"

Suddenly, Omi whipped out his tail, letting out an ear-splitting hiss. As a result, Clay could feel his hands slipping, but he fought desperately to hold on.

Chase looked at Omi hesitantly before leaping up in the air seizing him by the throat. The two were now face to face. "Young monk," he hissed sternly, "it's time we end this!" Chase opened the container and flung it into the mouth of the beast, just as he hit the ground. He stood up, wincing, and watched as Omi slowly reverted to his human form.

Everyone in the room stared wide-eyed at the sight of their friend. His skin was now a sickly shade of yellow, his eyes an olive green color with dark, snake-like slits, his expression contorted into an irritable scowl.

"Omi!" Kimiko cried. "What happened to you?"

The monk refused to speak, responding only with a low, menacing growl.

The dragon of fire gasped sharply, backing away.

"Omi," Chase lectured, "what were you thinking? You are aware that the effects of this are irreversible, are you not?"

"Yes, I am aware of that."

The monks gasped as a sinister grin sprawled across Omi's face.

"But who says I want to turn back?" the monk snapped, suddenly raising his voice. "This is who I am now, and if any of you wish to convince me otherwise, then I will only make you a target in my path of destruction!"

Raimundo let out a growl as he lunged forward, attempting to seize his friend in a tight hold, but the monk darted off before he was able to lay a hand on him. "Hey! Where'd he go?"

Chase stared ahead somberly. "Wherever he is, he is bound to be causing destruction," He turned to the monks. "I'm afraid we are too late to save him."


	15. Chapter 15

Far off from the Xiaolin temple sat a small village. The streets were crowded with people-old, young, and everything in between-all bursting with energy.

A young boy, around the age of eight, came running down the street, his arms flapping behind him excitedly. "Mommy, look! There's something up in the sky!"

"Now, Haku..." the mother said sternly, gently pulling him by the arm back into the crowd.

An older woman walking beside them rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "What is that thing? It looks like some breed of...yellow bird or something...now, what was its name again...?" Her voice trailed off as she continued to mutter to herself in a senile manner.

"Oh, a birdy!" the little boy exclaimed. "Maybe it's friendly!"

But little did they know that the object hurdling through the sky was not a bird, nor was it friendly.

The old woman cupped a bony hand to her forehead as the object drew closer, until it finally came into clear view. "Heavens, that's no bird," she said.

"It looks like..." the mother continued, "...a person?"

The figure came down swiftly from the sky and landed on the roof of an oriental-style building. "Hello, villagers!" he called, causing everyone to freeze in their paths and gather around.

He stared down at the crowd, his slitted eyes gleaming in satisfaction. "This is a most wonderful village you have here-the sun shining, the birds chirping, everyone so happy..." His lips slowly curved into a mischievous grin. "I will have so much fun destroying it."

The crowd gasped sharply before falling dead silent. Everyone stared at the yellow teen perched up on the building, who looked down upon them as if he was a snake waiting to devour a sea of rodents.

"It is nothing personal," he continued, "but your quaint little village was the closest to my former home-the first stop on a long path of destruction. You should consider yourselves special, in a way," he added with a cynical grin, causing everyone to step back in fear.

Suddenly, a young boy emerged from the crowd. "Mister birdy," he cried, "why are you doing this?"

"Haku," the mother hissed sternly, reaching for her son.

Omi cocked his head to the side. "What is he talking about? I am not a _bird_."

"Please, leave us alone," the boy whimpered desperately.

Omi shot him a deadly glare, causing the boy to cower back a bit, clutching his stuffed bunny tight to his chest.

"Now," Omi continued menacingly, "there shall be no resistance, or I will only ensure your demise to be that much more unbearable!" The monk crouched down before leaping high into the air, causing everyone in the crowd to exchange a mixture of confused and alarmed glances.

A silence fell over the entire village. Suddenly, the silence was brutally shattered by a single boom.

Everyone turned their heads to see an entire street of buildings lit up in a blazing fire. Another boom resonated, causing the crowd to scream in panic once more, and the fire continued to grow and devour everything in its path.

The young boy turned his head towards the violence, only to jerk it back once more in terror. Somehow, he managed to wriggle his arm free from his mother's grasp and take off down the streets.

"Haku!" the mother cried desperately. "Get back here!"

But the boy ignored his mother's cries and continued sprinting in the other direction. He had no idea where he was headed, but one thing was for sure: he wouldn't last much longer if he remained where he was.

He ran, and ran, until he was harshly greeted by a stone wall-a dead end.

The boy glanced around frantically at the three walls surrounding him; he had no idea where he was. All he could do was pray that he would stay hidden long enough to-

"Where do you think you are going?"

The boy froze. He tried to muster a scream, but he couldn't get anything to come out-it was a hard enough task to get air in and out of his lungs.

"Trying to escape?" Omi chuckled. "I must admit, I admire your courage. I also admire the way you stood up to me back there, as much as it angered me. Perhaps you can join me. I could train you to become as great as me-if that's even possible-and together, we could reign terror over this pathetic town."

The boy frowned. Turning his head briskly over his shoulder, his expression morphed into a glare. "No!" he snapped. "Why would I wanna be a meanie like you?"

"Oh, your words flatter me, little boy. But why are you so resistant? Don't you wish to escape the horrible fate of your people?"

"I said no!" Gathering up all of his remaining strength and courage, the boy picked up a nearby stone off the ground and chucked it at Omi, who dodged it with ease.

"My, such strength too! Have you ever considered that maybe you are on the wrong side?"

The boy stood in complete silence, panting, sweat dripping down his face, his expression still contorted into a persistent glare.

Omi grinned in amusement, when suddenly, a noise caused his expression to morph into a scowl.

"Haku? Haku! Where are you?"

Omi glanced over his shoulder at the woman running, then back at Haku, before muttering, "I hope you consider my offer."

And with that, the Heylin monk was gone.

The young boy stood in complete shock, still trying to piece together what had just happened.

* * *

"You think he came here?"

"Yes. The young monk is very impatient; it would be like him to attack the first village he sees."

The dragon of wind rolled his eyes. He hated the way the immortal acted as though he knew everything about Omi. Why did he even agree to come along with Chase in the first place?

The two proceeded up the mountains until they reached the barren crater of what was once a lively village.

Everything was burned to ashes-buildings were destroyed, trees and other vegetation lay charred in their paths, and a lone stuffed bunny sat in the middle of what used to be a busy street.

Raimundo walked over to the bunny and picked it up. "Man, I don't believe it. He really caused some damage."

"Yes," Chase said, lowering his head. "And the damage will only continue if we don't find him soon."

"But how are we supposed to catch up with him? He could be halfway across the planet by now!"

"You expect me to know?" Chase snapped. "I don't have all the answers."

"Well, you seem to know everything there is to know about Omi," the dragon of wind retorted. "He's _our _friend, so why don't you just back off and let us handle this?"

"You know very well that I know more about this than any of you. After all, I went through it once myself."

"When was that? Like, a million years ago?" Raimundo said with a snort, earning an irritated growl from the immortal.

"_Look_," he hissed, "I distest you as much as you distest me-maybe even more-but we will never find a solution to this problem if we don't learn to cooperate. Understand?"

"Yeah, whatever," Raimundo said indifferently, resting his hands behind his head.

Chase let out a deep sigh, and to himself, he muttered, "Omi, for your sake, I hope that I can make it through all of these annoyances."

"I heard that."

Chase smirked. "Good, you're finally listening."


	16. Chapter 16

After several hours of searching, the dragon of wind and the immortal finally gave up on finding their friend. At last, they arrived back at the temple, greeted by a sea of worried faces.

"Any luck, fellas?" Clay asked.

"Nope," Raimundo replied, "nada."

Chase merely shook his head in remorse.

"Guys!" Everyone turned towards the doorway as Dojo slithered in. "I've got big news!"

"You found Omi?" Kimiko asked hopefully.

"Nope! Haven't seen him. But, what I _have _seen is a new Shen Gong Wu that has just revealed itself!"

Raimundo groaned. "_That _was your big news?"

"Hey, I'm just doin' my job," Dojo slithered over to the monks and pulled out a scroll. "What you're lookin' at here is the Macrocephalous Calcariferous Hammer-also known as the _MC Hammer_. When smashed into the ground, it creates a sonic boom which temporarily stuns your enemies."

"So," Raimundo interjected, "Where do we find this _MC Hammer_?"

"I dunno. Let's find out, shall we?"

After a fairly short flight, the monks, Chase, and Jack landed somewhere in a local town.

"We could be looking for hours," Chase muttered disdainfully.

"Nah," Raimundo shrugged, "We've been doin' this for awhile; it shouldn't take long."

"If you say so."

Raimundo surveyed up and down the streets for any sign of the MC Hammer, but no luck. "Man, it's gotta be somewh-" Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something on the roof of a building. "There it is!"

The dragon of wind latched himself onto the side of the building and pulled himself upwards, until the Shen Gong Wu was in clear view. He reached up, and with his hand just inches from the wu, he felt something sharp pierce him from behind, sending him, and the MC Hammer, tumbling to the ground.

"O-ow..." He muttered, rubbing his back in pain. When he pulled his hands away, he expected them to be covered with blood, but all he saw was water. He glanced at the ground around him. _Icicles? _

Shrugging it off, he inched over on his stomach and reached for the wu, only to be greeted by another hand. _Huh,_ he pondered_, so is this the guy who attacked me? Who else could possibly be interested in finding the Shen Gong Wu?_ He raised his head, slowly scanning his eyes up the figure with blurry vision, and his breath hitched up in his throat.

"Raimundo!" Kimiko cried, running to aid her fellow monk. "Are you-" The dragon of fire let out a sharp gasp.

Soon, she was joined by the others.

"Oh boy," Dojo muttered, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

"Omi?" Raimundo exclaimed, gawking.

"Raimundo..." Omi said his name with as much acid as he could muster. He gave the dragon of wind a long, deadly stare, before finally uttering, "...I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown."

Raimundo returned the glare, and replied, "I accept your challenge."

"I will wager..." Omi reached into his shirt, pulling out his Shen Gong Wu, "...my Serpent's Tail!"

"And I wager..." Raimundo paused before turning to the others. "Yo, anyone got any Shen Gong Wu on them?"

Jack waved his hand in the air. "Oh, I do," he said, pulling out his gauntlets. "They're pretty useless though. I don't know how much good they'll do."

Dojo stared intently at the gauntlets in Jack's hands, and his eyes grew wide. "Useless...?" he muttered, beginning to hyperventilate. "Useless? _Useless_? USELESS?!" The dragon's voice continued to escalate each time he said the word, until he was practically screaming at the top of his lungs.

Jack scratched his head. "Uh...am I missing something?"

"Those..." The dragon heaved, attempting to regain his composure. "_Those..._are the Aikido Gauntlets!"

"Yeah...so?"

"When worn by two users on opposite hands, it allows them to fuse into one warrior, combining their power and creating an indestructible force!" Dojo slithered up Jack's body until they were face to face. "You call that _useless_?!"

"Eh..." Jack chuckled nervously. "My bad...?"

"Sounds good to me," Raimundo said. "Hand them over."

Jack hesitated before tossing the gauntlets over to Raimundo.

"Now hold on just a sec there, partner," Clay interrupted. "You're gonna need a fusion partner for those to work."

"Yeah, you're right," Raimundo scratched his head in contemplation, before finally turning to Clay with a big grin on his face. "Clay, you up for it?"

"You bet, partner."

"Alright, let's do it!"

"Now," Dojo instructed, "in order for this to work, you each need to wear your gauntlet on the opposite hand. Clay, you've got yours on the left, which means Raimundo, yours goes on the right."

Raimundo slipped his gauntlet on and glanced over at Clay. "You ready?"

A huge grin spread across the cowboy's face. "I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

"Okay!" Dojo exclaimed. "It's showtime!"

As soon as the two warriors finished securing their Shen Gong Wu, their bodies became engulfed in a bright, yellow light. Both let out a startled gasp as their bodies lifted off the ground and began to gravitate towards each other, until finally, they collided with one another in a bang. A large beam of light was emitted from the collision, temporarily blinding the other warriors. At last, the light began to fade, revealing a warrior with teal eyes, lightly tanned skin, a medium build, and flowing, blonde locks of hair. Everyone stood in awe at the new creation standing before them.

"Whoa..." Kimiko muttered.

Jack balled up his fists in excitement. "That...is..._awesome_!"

Omi merely rolled his eyes, not at all fazed by the blonde warrior standing before him.

"Wow," The warrior gave his new body a once over before grinning in satisfaction. "This is great! I feel incredible!"

"Oh!" Jack exclaimed. "You guys should have a new name-some kind of mixture of Raimundo and Clay, like...Ray!"

"Nah," Kimiko shook her head in disapproval, "he doesn't look like a Ray."

"How about..._Raiclay_!"

"That just sounds stupid!" the dragon of fire exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"Hmm," The warrior scratched his chin in contemplation, "Claymundo sounds good."

Jack shrugged indifferently. "Yeah, I suppose that could work."

Claymundo chuckled. "Now that that's settled, it's time I show this no good ombre what happens when you pick a fight with a shoku warrior!" He placed his hand on the Shen Gong Wu, grinning deviously. "Name your game."

"The game," Omi said, "is a test of strength, skill, and endurance-a grudge match. First to fall for more than ten seconds loses."

"Sounds good to me. I'll have fun kicking your sorry yellow butt."

"No!" Omi exclaimed. "It is _your _butt that will be receiving the kicking!"

"Wouldn't it be _butts_?" Jack pondered, scratching his head.

"Anyway," Omi continued, "I hope you are ready to feel my wrath, because there will be much of it!"

Claymundo grinned in amusement. "Whatever, little dude. Bring it on!"

"Let's go!" they both exclaimed. "Xiaolin Showdown!"

Everyone stepped back as the ground began to rumble beneath them. The rocky terrain rose up until it formed a large stage fit for a fighting match. The remaining ground broke off and fell into a deep abyss, leaving only the floating stage and a few chunks of stone for the spectators to stand on.

"GONG YI TAN PAI!"

And the match began.

Claymundo took a running start before launching himself into the air and bringing himself down swiftly, twisting his body in a tornado-like motion. The strong winds caused Omi to stumble back a bit, but he was hardly fazed. Right before the impact, the monk whipped out his Shen Gong Wu.

"Serpent's Tail!"

In an instant, the monk became untouchable, and Claymundo, moving too fast to react in time, was sent spiraling into the ground, leaving a large crater. The warrior immediately sprung back up and attempted to deliver a huge blow to his opponent, but he merely passed right through him once again.

"Hey!" Jack hollered. "Come on, Claymundo! I thought you were supposed to be indestructible!"

"Who's side are you on?" Kimiko snarled, throwing her hands in the air.

Claymundo channeled his new-found strength into every last punch and kick, but it all ended with the same results. "I don't get it," he growled, "How am I supposed to defeat him if I can't even touch him?"

While the warrior was pondering to himself, Omi swooped in and delivered a huge blow from behind, sending him pummeling into the ground.

"He's down!" Dojo cried, wringing his hands nervously. "Eh...I should probably start the countdown. One! Two! Three!"

Omi hovered over Claymundo, grinning mischievously.

"Four! Five!"

"It's too bad. It seemed to me like you were going to be a most promising opponent."

"_Six!_"

As Dojo continued his countdown, Omi stepped back to the edge of the stage and began a running start, preparing for his final blow.

"Seven!"

Claymundo knew he was close to defeat, so he decided to use a different approach. "Heh, that's pretty spineless of you, relying on your little ghosty tail to protect you."

Omi skidded to a halt. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, it's no fun if I can't actually touch you, right? Where's the challenge in that?"

Omi growled venomously.

"I bet you're just scared. Come on, let me touch you, just once."

The Heylin monk began to bubble up with rage, until finally, he was sent over the edge. "_Fine!_" he snapped. "If that is how it is going to be, then I will fight without Shen Gong Wu, just to prove to you that I _am _a worthy opponent!" With a great deal of strength, Omi tossed the Serpent's Tail out of the ring, sending it flying off into oblivion. "Scared now?"

"Ha, it's you who should be scared! Now you don't have any fancy toys to block my punches with!"

"Enough chitty-chat, let's fight!"

The two lunged forward, and the fight resumed.

"There goes the young monk with his foolish pride again, " Chase shook his head. "Perhaps, this time, it will be his downfall."

"You cannot defeat me!" Omi exclaimed, pounding his fist into the ground, just barely missing the other warrior by a few inches.

"We'll see about that!" Claymundo took a big leap into the air, followed by Omi. By the time they reached their maximum height, the stage below them was merely a pebble, the spectators small specks of dirt.

On the way back down, the two exchanged a series of complex punches and kicks, some of which were much more brutal than others. At last, they reached the ground with a bang, causing the entire stage to cave in, leaving very little room for them to fight. Soon, the two began tearing off chunks of the stage and using them to throw at each other. It was a battle that none of the monks would forget for a very long time.

"Still think you're better than us?" Claymundo mocked, pulverizing every rock that came at him as if it was child's play. It did help to have some of Clay's earth element in there, and it seemed to be working to their advantage.

This advantage did not last long, however.

Omi swiftly began to pick up the pace, while adding his own element into his attacks. Soon, Claymundo found himself struggling, dodging huge mounds of rock, as well as large chunks of hail and shards of ice that could pierce through bone.

The power slowly began to shift, and after putting up a great deal of a fight, Claymundo found himself down on his knees, clutching his stomach in pain from a large blow delivered by a chunk of ice.

Omi walked over to him with a slow stride, causing him to panic. He fought desperately to bring himself to his feet, the task draining him all by itself. The monk hovered over him, and said, in a menacing tone, "Actually, I do."

The monk delivered a final blow to his head, and it was all over.

"Ohh..." Dojo shuddered. "He's out cold. I hate to do this, but...One! Two!"

"Come on, Claymundo!" Kimiko hollered. "You can do it!"

"Three! Four!"

"I don't think he'll be getting up any time soon," Chase said, shaking his head.

"Five! Six! Seven!"

Omi began chuckling menacingly, which eventually escalated into full blown laughter.

"Eight!"

Claymundo continued to lay there, motionless, his eyes clenched shut in desperation.

"Nine!"

Omi's laughter finally ceased. "It appears I have won, my friend."

"And..._ten!_ The victory goes to Omi!" The dragon turned to the others meekly. "Eh, sorry guys..."

A flash lit up the sky, and everything returned to its normal state. Another flash illuminated, separating Raimundo and Clay back into their original forms.

"Whoa..." Raimundo muttered, wincing in pain. "I feel..."

"...Like I've just been run over by an entire stable of race horses," Clay finished.

Omi walked over to the MC Hammer and picked it up. "I believe this is mine. And these too," he added deviously, snatching the Aikido Gauntlets off the ground between Raimundo and Clay. "Well, this was fun, but I should get going. There are so many places left for me to destroy!"

And in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Raimundo growled, struggling to his feet. "Man, I don't like this new Omi. I just wish there was a way to change him back to normal."

"Change...back...normal..._original form_..." Something about Raimundo's words made a spark go off in Jack's head. Just then, it hit him. "_Oh!_ I got it! What if I modified the Rio Reverso in a way that would return Omi to his original form right before he drank the soup?"

Dojo stroked his beard. "It's a stretch...but it just might work!"

"What?" Kimiko exclaimed. "Are you crazy? That'll never work!"

"Well," Jack scoffed, "I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas, miss hothead."

The dragon of fire let out a growl.

"Hey," Dojo suddenly chimed in, "Kimiko, you're pretty good with technology, aren't you?"

"Yeah...where are you going with this?"

"Maybe you and Jack could work together! You know what they say, two heads are always better than one, am I right?"

"Work with Jack?" Kimiko glanced over at the boy genius, and her expression immediately turned sour. "No way!"

"Yeah," Raimundo mocked, hovering over her shoulder, "you two will get to spend a lot of time together," He raised his eyebrows, grinning deviously. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, Kim?"

The dragon of fire delivered a rather hard blow to his ribcage with her elbow, blushing furiously.

Raimundo yelped in pain. "Jeez!" he exclaimed. "You know, the longer you deny it, the worse it's gonna get. Just look what happened to Omi!"

"Leave him out of this!" she growled, her cheeks even redder than before.

"So," Dojo intervened, attempting to break the tension, "will you do it?"

"Ohh..." Kimiko clenched her eyes shut in horror before finally muttering, "...fine."

"Alright!" Jack exclaimed, with a not-so-surprising amount of enthusiasm. "We'll start fresh tomorrow-my place sound good?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, you've got all those fancy tools and stuff."

"I do have quite the hookup, don't I?" Jack adjusted the collar of his trench coat, trying with his best efforts to appear '_smooth_', much to Kimiko's dismay.

"Yeah..." she groaned, slowly averting her eyes, "...whatever."

"Good! Then it's a date-ah, I mean, a friendly get-together!" Now it was Jack's turn to blush a little. "You and me, in my basement, fumbling with tools, eating nachos...it'll be great!"

The dragon of fire let out a deep sigh, preparing herself for the long day ahead of her.


	17. Chapter 17

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"No, no, you're doing great-now hand me a wrench, would ya?"

The dragon of fire groaned to herself. How she had managed to get herself into this mess, she had no idea. _I'm doing this for Omi...this is for Omi..._ she continued to reassure herself.

Jack noticed Kimiko staring off into space, and he let out a deep sigh. "Never mind," he groaned, "I'll get it." Jack reached for the wrench, while at the same time, Kimiko finally snapped out of her trance and reached for it as well, causing her hand to land on top of his. The dragon of fire froze for a moment before yanking her hand away.

"Eww," she groaned, turning away and occupying herself with some tools in order to hide the growing blush on her face, "I don't wanna know where that thing's been."

"Gee, you're so kind," he muttered sarcastically.

Several hours passed, and the two had made great progress on their device-though they still had a lot of work to go.

Kimiko grew tired of staring at the same bits and parts for so long, and she turned her head slightly, peering over at Jack. It was interesting to watch him work. He looked so focused, so determined, so knowledgeable-everything he was not when they were fighting him. It was a side of Jack she'd never seen before, and she had to admit, she sort of liked it.

Jack noticed Kimiko staring at him out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his head, setting down his tools. "Are you gonna stare at me all night? Or are you gonna help me?"

Suddenly, the dragon of fire was jolted back into reality-she hadn't realized she had been staring. "I _am _helping!" she snapped, frantically snatching the nearest tool off the table.

"Uh huh," Jack shook his head in amusement. "'Cause that hammer is _totally _gonna help you unscrew those bolts."

Kimiko dropped the hammer back onto the desk, blushing furiously.

Jack chuckled. "You know, you're kinda cute when you're frazzled."

"Wh-_what do you mean?!_" she snarled. "I'm not frazzled!"

"Whatever you say."

"There is no way someone like _you_ could make me feel frazzled!"

"I never said it was because of me. But now that you put it that way, it does sorta make sense."

"Wha-_no! _It's not like that!"

"Please, I heard you at the showdown-you totally dig me."

"I said you were _'kind of cute'. _That doesn't mean anything."

"Or does it?" The boy genius raised his eyebrows.

"Look, are we gonna talk all night, or are we gonna finish this thing? Omi's probably out there destroying everything as we speak!"

"Okay, okay..." Jack held his hands up in surrender before turning back to the device.

"So, what will this thing do exactly?" Kimiko questioned, trying to change the subject.

"I've modified this thing to work sort of like a time machine-using parts from my old evil time machine, of course. I set it back to the time and date when Omi drank the Lao Mang Long soup, but instead of sending him back in time, it'll just change him back to the state he was in at that time."

"So...not evil?"

"Exactly."

"Sounds complicated. Are you sure this will work?"

"Of course it will! Have my inventions ever failed before?"

"Well..." Now that the dragon of fire thought about it, his inventions had always been able to carry out the tasks they were designed to do; it was the execution he had a problem with.

"That's what I thought. Now, back to work!" Jack swiveled around in his chair and resumed working on the device. Kimiko, however, remained in the same position, her eyes fixed intently on the table.

Jack noticed this and frowned; he knew something was up. "What's the matter? Got something on your mind?"

Kimiko wanted to simply brush the question off, but this was something that she needed to talk about for a long time, and here was someone just waiting to listen-even if it was Jack. The dragon of fire took a deep breath, before muttering, "It's Omi."

"Don't worry, we'll get him back. My plan will work out, and everything will be fine."

"I know, but...that's not what's bothering me."

The boy genius raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I mean, this whole mess is happening because everyone was so against Omi being with Chase-even Chase himself. But why should it matter? You should be able to love someone without being criticized, or shunned, or...locked in a room, in Omi's case."

"Wow, you seem pretty upset about this."

"I am. And maybe it's because I know how he feels. Right now, there's this guy I really like, but my friends don't exactly approve of him. They think he's annoying, untrustworthy, a snake, kinda crazy-but they don't know anything about him. He's actually really smart, he's great with technology, and aside from all his craziness, I'll bet he's a really sweet guy."

"He sounds kind of familiar...do I know this guy?"

"It's possible," she said, grinning coyly.

Jack pondered it for a moment, until finally, it all came together-the showdown, the subtle hints, the weird behavior-everything suddenly made sense. "You're talking about me, aren't you?"

Kimiko froze in terror. She couldn't believe everything that had just spewed out of her mouth. Moreover, she couldn't believe _Jack_, of all people, had figured it out. _No...no! Why did I just say all of that? He's not supposed to know yet...what the heck was I thinking?_ The dragon of fire felt her breath hitch up in her throat as the red-headed genius suddenly leaned in closer to her. Without thinking, she jerked away from him, nearly tipping over in her chair.

"What?!" she exclaimed, her cheeks a dark shade of red. "What are you talking about? There's no way I would ever like someone like _you!_ You're stupid, a-and...disgusting...and..." The dragon of fire could feel herself becoming frazzled again. _Ohh...why does he do this to me?_

Kimiko's outburst caught Jack off guard. He couldn't tell if she was serious, or if she was just in denial, but knowing his luck, he decided to go with the first one. "Hn, I knew it," he said with a scoff. "Why did I even bother asking? Of course you weren't talking about me." He spun around in his chair, crossing his arms. "I'm sure you'd rather be with someone like Raimundo anyway..." he added with a scowl.

"Actually, we tried that a long time ago-didn't work out. We're just friends now."

"Really?" His eyes lit up with hope.

"Yeah...but don't get any ideas!" she snapped, causing all of his hopes to deflate.

The two resumed working, but after her previous outburst, Kimiko suddenly found herself feeling a bit uncomfortable around the boy genius. She racked her brain for ways to divert herself. "Hey, you hungry? I can go make us some nachos."

"That sounds great!" he exclaimed. "Make sure you add extra cheese!"

The dragon of fire rolled her eyes before proceeding up the stairs and into the kitchen. _Wow, _she pondered, _it's really dark up here, and...quiet. I thought he said he lived with his parents._

The dragon of fire glanced around until her eyes landed on the digital clock on the stove, the only viable light source in the entire place-_12:59 AM._ Had they really been working for that long?

_No wonder...everyone else must be asleep!_

Ten minutes later, the dragon of fire returned to the basement with a bowl of nachos. "You were out of cheese, so I-Jack?" She crept further down the staircase until the boy genius came into view. There he was, his head down on the table, sound asleep, a wrench still clutched in his hand.

Kimiko shook her head in amusement. "Well, you did work pretty hard today."

The boy genius responded with a loud snore.

"I better get you to bed," Kimiko set the bowl of nachos on the table and attempted to prop him up in his chair. Once he was in an upright position, she grabbed him from behind and proceeded to drag him up the stairs. "_Geez..._" she grunted, "for a scrawny little wimp, you sure are heavy...!"

At last, after two flights of stairs, she finally reached his bedroom. She let out a huff before gently lifting him and laying him on his bed. For some reason, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off the red-headed teen. _For an 'evil' boy genius, he looks pretty adorable when he's asleep. I could just..._

After a slight hesitation, the dragon of fire leaned down and pressed her lips to his, only for a second, and immediately pulled away. She cupped a hand to her mouth in shock, glancing down cautiously to make sure her sudden action hadn't woken him. _Wh-why did I just do that? I don't like him that way! I better get out of here before I get too carried away... _

Kimiko took one last look at the sleeping genius before carefully closing the door behind her, her lips curved up into a contented grin.


	18. Chapter 18

"Well," Jack grinned to himself in satisfaction, "Three days of work, and this thing is finally done."

Clay gave the device a once over. "I would recommend testing that thing before getting it anywhere near Omi."

"We did test it," Jack retorted. "We used it on fruit, bugs, even on my mom's moldy cheese samples."

"Yeah," Kimiko added, scrunching her face up, "The end result smelled a lot better."

"Now we just gotta use it on the cheddar head, and _bam! _No more evil."

"There's just one problem with that plan of yours," Clay suddenly interjected. "How are we gonna use that thing on him if we can't even find him? The little feller could be anywhere by now."

Raimundo scratched his chin in contemplation. Then, it hit him. "If we can't find him, then we'll just have to make him come to us."

"But how do we do that?" Kimiko questioned.

"I dunno. Anyone got any ideas?"

Chase stepped forward. "In order to maintain balance between his human form and his serpent form, the young monk must proceed to drink the soup once every three days. Eventually, he will be forced to return to fulfill this need, and when that time comes, we will be there waiting for him."

"So, we just hang around your place until the little dude shows up?"

"Precisely."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Up high, lizard dude!" Raimundo held up his hand for a high-five, but Chase merely brushed him off, causing the dragon of wind to sulk in defeat.

Suddenly, Dojo poked his head out of Clay's shirt. "You know what? I think I'm gonna sit this one out." The dragon hopped onto the floor and inched over to the doorway. "I-It's not that I'm afraid of Omi or anything..." he stuttered, chuckling anxiously. "No...don't be silly! It's just that I...uh...need to help guard the temple! Yes...you can never have too much security when there's a vicious Heylin monk on the loose, they always say! Yeah, that's it..." The dragon let out another nervous chuckle before slipping into the other room.

Clay shook his head. "I don't blame the little feller; this new Omi is mighty frightening."

"Nah," Raimundo shrugged, "I think he's just being a coward. We can take him!"

"Uh, Rai, you seem to forget that we failed to defeat him, even with our powers combined."

"Well...whatever! With the five of us working together, there's no way this plan will fail."

"I sure hope you're right about that, partner."

* * *

Later that evening, the monks and Jack arrived at Chase's citadel.

"I really like what you've done with the place," Jack commented, hoping to earn some gratification from the immortal. He winced as a piece of ceiling plonked him on the head.

"It sorta looks like a tornado just came through here," Raimundo stated bluntly.

Chase let out a deep sigh. "That would be Omi's doing."

"Man, he really brought this place to the ground."

"And this is only a small scale of the damage that will be caused if our plan doesn't follow through."

"It will! Jeez, why is everyone being so negative today?"

"We have approximately 48 hours until the monk's expected arrival. Until then, make yourselves at home...I suppose."

"Haha, look at me!" Raimundo exclaimed as he leapt up onto Chase's throne. "I am Chase Young, lord of everything that is evil! Bow down to me and my fabulous hair!" The dragon of wind whipped his hair back and forth in a dramatic fashion before collapsing onto the chair in a fit of laughter.

Chase let out a sigh of irritation. "I just have to put up with this for a few days," he muttered, clenching his teeth.

Suddenly, Wuya floated into the room. "My, it appears we have visitors!" She whisked over to Chase and cupped a hand to his ear. "_What are they doing here?_" she hissed irritably.

"Don't worry," he replied, "it's just until we can get Omi back to normal."

"I still don't understand why you're not taking advantage of this-he's absolutely _evil! _I know you love him and all, but think about the possibilities!"

"I do _not!_" he snapped.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Chase, startled by his sudden outburst. "_Never mind..._" he grumbled. "Go back to your business."

"Man," Raimundo said, rubbing his stomach, "I'm _starving._"

"Dinner should be served in about an hour. Wuya, go tell my jungle cats to prepare four extra meals."

"Of course," she chirped, floating out of the room.

"What's for dinner?" Raimundo retorted. "Slugs?"

* * *

"Oh...my..." The dragon of wind gawked at the large dining table filled with a variety of foods. "Not slugs..." he muttered to himself, "Not slugs!"

Everyone sat around the table and began digging into their food.

Raimundo stared across the table at Chase, who sat quietly, sipping a bowl of soup. "How can you and Omi eat that stuff?" he questioned. "It smells rank!"

Chase took another sip. "It may be _'rank'_, but it is what allows us to maintain our human forms. Without it, we would become mindless, vicious creatures."

The dragon of wind didn't like the way he referred to Omi as one of those _'creatures'. _Suddenly, the reality of the situation dawned upon him, and he began to feel sick to his stomach. "Hey, uh, I'm gonna go walk around for a bit, 'kay?" He stood up, excusing himself.

"What's with him?" Kimiko pondered.

"Beats me," Clay replied, his mouth stuffed with food. "Mmm...porkchops!"

Raimundo wandered around the vast halls of the citadel, trying to clear any thoughts of Omi from his head. "I just don't get it," he muttered to himself. "Why did he even drink the soup in the first place? He's like, the last dude I know that would pull something like that! And...why do I feel like this is my fault somehow?" The dragon of wind looked down at his feet, repressing a sigh. "I was the one who said he should cross over to the Heylin side...but, I didn't mean it! I was just messin' around with the little guy. He should know by now not to take me seriously. I would never wish anything like this to happen to him; he's like a little brother to me. I always try to look out for him, to protect him from anything that could really hurt him...and this is what happens?!" Raimundo pressed his head against the wall. "Gah, why do I even bother...?"

"Your concern for the monk is..._touching_, if you could call it that."

Raimundo jumped at the sudden noise. He turned around, glaring at the figure standing across the hall. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" he snapped.

"I'm here to reassure you that you are not the cause of this incident."

"What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to explain," Chase walked over to Raimundo, whose glare never faltered. "As you all know by know, the monk had a serious infatuation with me. But, I knew the consequences that would come about if I returned his feelings, so I repeatedly turned him down. Despite my rejections, the monk remained persistent, longing for a relationship between the two of us. I explained to him the roadblocks that stood in the way of our relationship, one of them being that he was not immortal like myself. He would grow old, and eventually die, while I would remain the same. Instead of heeding my warnings, the monk took this as a challenge, and he snuck into my home to drink the Lao Mang Long soup, which in turn would grant him immortality. Fortunately, I caught him the first time, but that wasn't the end of it. He waited until I was away to return and attempt it a second time. Since I was not here to stop him, he succeeded in his plan to gain immortality, but the effects of the soup appear to be taking a harder toll on him than I ever would have imagined. He yearns for destruction, and his obsession will only continue to grow if he is not stopped."

"So that's how it was..." Raimundo stood there, gawking at Chase. "And it probably didn't help that we tried keeping him away from you-I'll bet it fueled his resentment even more."

"Now that you understand the graveness of the situation, you can see how important it is that we succeed in this plan."

Raimundo's shoulders slumped, and he turned away from Chase. "But..."

"But..._what?_"

"...what if we don't succeed? I can't imagine having Omi like this forever."

"Don't be ridiculous. You were the one who was so intent on us succeeding; what could have caused you to change your mind?"

"I don't know. I guess..." The dragon of wind lowered his head. "...I guess I'm just scared, that's all."

Chase walked over to Raimundo and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I suppose that's one thing we have in common."

Raimundo's head shot up, his eyes wide in shock.

"I too care for the monk very deeply-more than any of you could ever understand-but whatever the outcome may be, we must be willing to move on and accept. Understand?"

Raimundo hesitated before nodding.

"Good." Chase was thankful that the dragon of wind was facing away from him, so that he wouldn't see the small grin that was creeping across his face. "Now, let's get back to the others; we don't want them to worry."

* * *

"I hope you are thirsty! And even if you are not...I don't care!"

Everyone scrambled around in terror as the yellow teen hovered in the sky and brought down huge waves upon their city, using the water from a nearby ocean.

Omi cackled as he continued to bombard the town with tsunamis. "Oh," he paused for a moment to scratch himself, "My skin is most itchy..." He raised his hands to manipulate another wave, when suddenly, they began retracting into his body. "Hey!" he hollered. "What gives?!" His legs disappeared as well, morphing together and forming into a tail. Soon, his entire body expanded, until he was completely transformed into his serpent form.

"Oh my word!" one of the villagers exclaimed. "What is that thing?!"

The serpent let out a hiss before bolting off and vanishing from the scene, leaving the villagers to breathe...for now.

* * *

"The monk should be arriving soon," Chase said, turning to the others.

"It's about time," Raimundo replied, "I'm getting pretty bored in this place."

"OH MY!"

Everyone turned to the doorway as a familiar ghost flew in frantically, her eyes lit up like two balls of fire.

"Wuya?" Kimiko stared at her in alarm. "What is it?"

"I'm sensing Shen Gong Wu!"

"Look," Chase said sternly, "I know how obsessive you are about finding your little magical trinkets, but it will have to wait for now."

"You don't understand!" she exclaimed. "I'm getting signals from within this citadel!"

"Omi!" Kimiko cried.

"How do you know it's him?" Raimundo questioned.

"Why else would there be the sudden appearance of Shen Gong Wu? Everyone else who could possibly be interested in finding them are all sitting right here!"

"Everyone," Chase commanded, "we must act fast if we wish for this plan to succeed. Follow me!"

Everyone followed behind Chase, save for the old spirit.

"Well," she said with a sigh, "I've done my job here." And with that, she disappeared into her dark corner of the citadel.

The monks rushed down the halls of the citadel, not taking one second for granted, until finally, they reached the kitchen, and surely enough, he was there.

Everyone stood in the doorway as the monk finished gulping down a bowl of soup and slowly began to revert back into his human form.

Kimiko turned to Jack. "You ready?" she muttered, keeping her voice low.

Jack responded with a small nod. He checked the device one last time, making sure it was set to the right time and date, and he fixated it on Omi. "Here goes nothing..." he whispered, his hands trembling furiously. "Rio Reverso!"

"Huh?" Omi jumped at the sudden noise and turned over his shoulder, just in time to see Jack raise the device and aim it straight at him. The monk quickly dodged out of the way, causing its rays to pass right over him and rebound off one of the bowls sitting on the counter.

Jack stepped back in terror as a cold set of eyes was suddenly fixed upon him in a malevolent glare. "Uh..." he muttered, "...oops?"

"Jack!" Kimiko cried. "What are you waiting for? Try it again!"

"Ohh..." Jack wrung his hands anxiously before fixating the device on Omi once more.

"Hurry!"

"Here it goes...Rio Revers-"

"_MC Hammer!_" The monk pounded the hammer into the floor with great force, rendering the other warriors temporarily immobile. While everyone was distracted, Omi proceeded to pull out yet another Shen Gong Wu. "I suppose I'll just leave you here to suffer. Golden Tiger Claws!"

Raimundo finally began to snap out of his daze, and his eyes grew wide. "Guys, he's escaping!"

Everyone exchanged alarmed glances as the portal opened up, allowing the monk to slip inside.

"We can't let him get away!" Kimiko cried.

In a not-so-orderly fashion, everyone rushed over to the portal and somehow managed to squeeze themselves inside, just in time for it to close.

Seconds later, the portal reopened, and everyone fell to the ground with a thud.

"Geez," Raimundo groaned, "talk about a tight squeeze."

Kimiko stood up, rubbing her back in pain. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," he replied, observing his surroundings.

"Wherever we are," Chase added, "We can't let Omi get awa-"

"_Chase!_" the dragon of wind exclaimed.

The immortal looked up from the ground, wincing. He had an idea of who had attacked him from behind, and his prediction was confirmed when the attacker finally spoke.

"Chase Young...we meet again."

"Yes...and this will be the last time!" Chase took a running start towards Omi, and the two initiated the fight.

Despite the monk's sudden spike in power-side effects of the soup-the fight was evenly matched for the most part.

"Just give it up, Chase Young-you are no match for me! I am dominant over you in this fight _and_ in our relationship!"

"What?!" Chase snarled. "I'm twice your size and nearly eighty times your age! If anything, I would be the dominant one in this relationship!"

"With your long, girly hair? Please!" Omi chuckled deviously, causing Chase to seethe in rage.

"_You_...!" Chase lunged forward in an attempt to seize the monk, missing him by just a few inches.

"Too slow!" Omi sang, grinning playfully. "You're going to have to work harder to keep up with me."

Chase let out a growl. Conjuring up all of his remaining strength, he charged forward, pummeling the young monk to the ground.

Omi struggled to get up, but the immortal had him pinned down tight.

"Oh, and by the way," he added, "you're just jealous because you can't get anything to grow out of that oversized ping pong ball of yours," Chase leaned forward a bit, allowing some of his hair to drape over his shoulders. "I know you love my hair."

"It's true," Omi muttered, "I always did find your hair quite lovely...perhaps you would let me touch it?"

Chase stared down at him with a puzzled expression, releasing his grip slightly. "Why would you-_agh!_" The immortal let out a yelp of pain as the monk suddenly took his long hair in his hands and yanked it down hard. His face began to heat up when he realized how close they were.

"Why is it that you want to change me back so desperately anyway? I thought you always wanted me to be evil, to be at your side and help you reign terror over the world for all eternity."

"Young monk..." Chase growled, "Release my hair at once!"

Omi merely responded by tugging on it even harder. "Answer my question!" he snapped.

"You...could never understand...!" he snarled, wincing in pain.

"Is it because you have become fond of my goodie-three-shoes side? Or..." the monk grinned deviously, "...are you turning into a goodie-three-shoes yourself?"

Chase growled venomously. "That's it..." he hissed, "...I'm ending this right now!" He clenched his fist tight and used it to deliver a hard blow to Omi's gut. _Wow, _he pondered, wincing inwardly, _that didn't feel nearly as good as I thought it would._

Omi winced in pain, releasing his tight grip on the immortal's hair.

Chase used the opportunity to bring himself to his feet.

"Chase..." Omi whimpered, struggling to his knees and clutching his stomach in pain, "...that really hurt."

The immortal's expression softened, and he looked down at him with a tinge of sympathy. Then, his senses slowly returned to him-he knew what he was doing. "No..." he growled, "I won't fall for that!"

Before Omi had time to react, Chase rushed over to him and seized him in a tight hold. "I've got him!" he exclaimed, turning to the others.

"Good!" Raimundo replied. "You just gotta hold him long enough for Jack to do his thing."

Chase's task became more difficult as the monk began squirming around in resistance. The immortal struggled to keep his grip on Omi, but he refused to let go. "Any time would be nice..." he snarled.

"Now!" Kimiko cried.

Jack whipped out the device and aimed it at Omi. "Rio Reverso!"

Chase dodged out of the way just in time for the rays to hit the struggling monk. Omi stood frozen in shock as his entire body was engulfed in the power of the Shen Gong Wu. Everyone stood back and watched as he writhed and struggled, his eyes clenched shut in pain. Soon, the light around him faded, and he fell to the ground.

"Omi!" Chase cried out, rushing over to the fallen monk. He knelt down and swept him up in his arms. "Young monk...are you alright?"

For a few seconds, nothing happened, until finally, the monk's eyes slowly began to flutter open. "Chase..." he muttered, "what happened...?"

The immortal pondered whether he should tell him or not. He had been through a lot in the past few days-he figured he had the right to know. "Don't worry, you're alright now; you're not evil anymore."

"Evil...?" Omi looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "I was...evil?"

"Yes. You went against my orders and drank the Lao Mang Long soup, turning you into a horrid creature, but you appear to be alright now, thanks to Kimiko and Jack's device."

"Chase..."

"What is it, young monk?"

"...thank you for saving me. I appreciate it greatly."

Chase felt his cheeks turn a light shade of red as the monk caressed his cheek.

Omi leaned in until their noses were pressed together. His eyes fluttered closed, along with the immortal's, both preparing for what was to come.

Then, with their lips nearly brushing together, Chase felt something hit him hard in the gut. His eyes shot wide open, and he began gasping for air, trying to recollect what had just happened. He glanced up at the figure before him, who's serpent-like eyes bore down on him relentlessly.

The figure looked down on him with a cruel smirk, before uttering four words that left everyone on the battlefield breathless: "Gong Ji Ai attack."

Chase stumbled back in disbelief. _I don't believe it...how could I let him fool me like that?_

"No," Kimiko muttered, "it can't be..."

"It didn't work," Jack finished somberly.

"But how can that be?" Raimundo exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I thought this was supposed to be fool-proof!"

Everyone's attention was suddenly directed back to the battlefield by the sound of menacing laughter.

"Did you really think your little toy was going to work on me? Ha!" Omi extended his arm and released a powerful blast of energy, smashing the Rio Reverso to bits. "You'll just have to try harder next time..." The Heylin monk looked down upon everyone with a vicious smirk before vanishing from the scene.

Everyone stared at each other in disbelief. They really thought this was going to be the end of things, but in reality, this would only be the beginning of something much darker.

"You monks take care. I'll be off devising a plan of my own to fix this mess." And with that, Chase Young disappeared from the scene as well.

Raimundo growled. "Darn it...how did I know he was gonna ditch us like that?"

"I don't get it," Kimiko pondered. "Why didn't the device work? That thing was guaranteed to change him back to normal."

"Perhaps it is because there is no way to change him back."

Everyone whisked over their shoulder in alarm at the new, yet strangely familiar voice.

"That voice..." Raimundo pondered, "I feel like I know it from somewhere."

"Now that you mention it," Kimiko muttered, "so do I."

"I'm afraid you were doomed to fail from the start," the voice continued. "There is no known cure for the Lao Mang Long soup; all we can do at this point is defeat him before he becomes too powerful." The figure stepped forward, emerging himself from the thick fog. "And I will help you."

Everyone let out a startled gasp at the revelation of the stranger's face.


	19. Chapter 19

Everyone stood in complete shock as the stranger emerged from the fog, revealing his face.

"_Grand Master Dashi?!"_

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Raimundo questioned.

Dashi rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "There's...a long story behind that one, but we'll save that for another time. Right now, we must focus on what is important: defeating the monk."

"When you say..._'defeating'_...you just mean locking him away somewhere for thousands of years, right?"

"I'm afraid even that would be too risky. In order ensure the safety of this planet, we must obliterate him for good."

"You mean...?"

Kimiko let out a sharp gasp. "_No!_" she cried.

"Hey, come on...you were just kidding, right?" Raimundo walked over to Dashi and patted him on the back. "You'd never make us kill our best friend...right, Dashi-man? You're _way _too cool for that!"

"I'm sorry," Dashi muttered. "I wish there was another way to go about this, but with the monk being as unstable as he is, I'm afraid we have no other option."

"Hey, Kimiko," Clay glanced over at her in concern, "You alright, little lady?"

"Yeah," Jack added, "she does look a little pale."

"Maybe the news was too much for her."

The dragon of fire took a step back, her head spinning, and before she knew it, she was unconscious on the ground.

"Kim!" Raimundo exclaimed.

Jack rushed over to the fallen girl and knelt down to pick her up, only to be blocked by Clay.

"Hey," he snapped, "keep your grubby little paws off of her."

The boy genius merely responded by sticking his tongue out at Clay. He pushed the earth dragon's hand aside and proceeded to take Kimiko into his arms, using his hand to fan her face. "Don't worry," he murmured, "I got you."

"Clearly, you are not prepared to take down Omi at this point," Dashi continued, "which is why I am here to train you. I'd say a year should cover everything I need to teach you."

"A year?" Raimundo exclaimed, gawking. "You mean we're just gonna let Omi run around and cause chaos for a whole year?"

"If I let you go any sooner, you will not have what it takes to go against him."

"But what about all those people that will die?"

"I'm afraid it is a sacrifice we must make. Think of all the people that will perish at Omi's hands if we do not even attempt to defeat him."

Raimundo clenched his eyes shut, and he let out a deep sigh. "I guess you're right..." He stared ahead somberly, before finally muttering, "...I'm in."

"Me too," Clay replied. "You gotta do what you gotta do."

"Oh!" Jack exclaimed. "I'll help too, if that's alright."

"Of course," Dashi grinned at the boy genius. "We can never have too much assistance at a time like this."

Suddenly, Kimiko regained her consciousness, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Hey," Jack commented, "Look who's finally awake."

Dashi turned to the girl, his expression firm. "Kimiko, we are all waiting on your decision."

"I..." The dragon of fire felt a wave go through her stomach. On one hand, she didn't have the heart to kill her fellow monk. After all the times she looked out for him, the times she stood up for him when the others were against him-she just couldn't find it in herself to go through with it.

But, on the other hand, she also didn't have the heart to allow thousands of innocent people to die at the hands of the Heylin monk.

She knew what she had to do.

"Okay..." she muttered, fighting back tears, "...I'll do it!"

* * *

Later that day, the monks brought their guest to the Xiaolin temple in order to discuss their training schedule.

Master Fung walked out of the temple, carrying a tray of teacups. "Ah, young monks, you've finally returned. Would any of you care for some tea...?" The old master's voice suddenly trailed off, and the tray fell out of his hands. "Oh...oh my...!" He clutched a hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath. "Grand Master Dashi...is that really you?"

"Fung-master, pleased to finally meet you in person."

"You know him?" Raimundo exclaimed.

Dashi chuckled. "I've been keeping an eye on all of you since the beginning of your adventures. There were times where you probably could have used my help, but I just sat back and watched, because I knew you were all capable of handling it on your own. I'm very proud of all of you. But this Omi situation, however, is not something you can tackle by yourselves, which is why I finally decided to intervene."

"So...you've been watching over us this whole time?"

Dashi nodded. "I guess you could say I'm sort of like a guardian angel."

"Which means you're dead...right?"

The Grand Master chuckled. "About that...you see, it all started back when I captured Wuya..."

_"I hope you're comfortable in there, Wuya, because you're not getting out."_

_The Xiaolin monk in training walked into his bedroom and set the wooden puzzle box down on the floor. He turned to walk out the doorway, then paused, his gaze slowly shifting back to the puzzle box. Despite the bitter rivalry the two shared, Dashi had always found the witch to be quite stunning, and he admired her stubborn, persistent nature-as amusing as it could be at times. "Maybe if I just let you back out for a little bit..." He traced his fingers over the latch on the front, tempted to open it._

_"Dashi! Come quick!"_

_The monk turned over his shoulder to see his fellow student, Guan, standing in the doorway, his face stricken with panic. "Ah...hey, Guan...!" He scrambled to get the puzzle box out of his sight, shoving it under a nearby pile of clothes. "What is it, man?"_

_"There's a hideous creature outside the temple, and I think it might have gotten Chase!"_

_"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him since Wuya's capture yesterday. We better go check it out."_

_"Yes, we must hurry!"_

_The two rushed outside, greeted by an entire field lit up in flames._

_Dashi grimaced. "What in the name of Hannibal Roy is going on out here?"_

_A large reptilian creature suddenly emerged from the bushes, causing the two warriors to jump back into their fighting stances._

_"So, I assume this is the creature you were talking about."_

_"Yes," Guan replied shakily, "I have no idea where it came from!"_

_The creature let out a low growl before darting off from the scene._

_"We can't let that thing get away!" Guan exclaimed. "There's no telling what kind of destruction it will cause!" The monk sprinted after the creature, followed by Dashi._

_They chased after it for miles on end, until finally, the creature stopped, perching itself on the edge of a mountain._

_The two warriors stood and watched as the creature transformed, taking on a human form. It wore a suit of armor, and its long, dark hair extended halfway down its back. "Yes," he said to himself, "Now that I have turned my back on the Xiaolin temple, I am one step closer to reigning terror over this planet!" The figure chuckled menacingly before leaping over the mountain and fading off into the distance._

_"I don't believe it..." Dashi muttered._

_"No," Guan shook his head in disbelief, "This cannot be. Why would Chase Young turn to the dark side? I must go talk to him at once!" The monk took a running start before making his way up the mountain in three giant leaps._

_"Guan!" Dashi raised a hand in protest. "I don't know if that's such a good idea..." His voice slowly trailed off, with the realization that his fellow monk refused to listen to him. "This is not good."_

_"Chase Young!" Guan continued running after the immortal until he finally caught up with him._

_Suddenly, Chase froze in his path, and he turned to Guan with a cold stare, causing the monk to stumble back a bit._

_"Chase..." he muttered, "Why have you betrayed us?"_

_"I could ask you the same thing."_

_Guan's eyes grew wide. "Wh-what?"_

_"I knew of your plans to take me down when I was least expecting it-a little friend told me everything..." The immortal grinned deviously. "I guess you could say I made the first move."_

_"What are you talking about? I never planned to do such a thing!"_

_"Please, I heard you say it with my own ears."_

_Guan continued to stare at Chase with a puzzled expression._

_"But I decided to take the initiative, and now..." he chuckled, "...it is I who will take you down!"_

_Guan had little time to react before he was suddenly face to fist with the immortal, sending him pummeling into the ground. He hopped to his feet, whipping out his Spear of Guan, and he prepared himself for a long fight._

_And a long fight it was._

_The two battled relentlessly for days, both refusing to give in. At last, Guan made a fatal error by allowing Chase to get ahold of his spear. The immortal used the sharp weapon to pin him to the ground, leaving him little room to defend himself. It was then that Guan admitted defeat, leaving his spear, and his old friend, behind._

_"Farewell, Chase Young. I hope our paths will cross again some day." The monk stared at his friend a final time before turning over his shoulder and disappearing from the battlefield._

_Later that day, he returned to Dashi, who was eagerly awaiting his arrival._

_"Guanoman!" he exclaimed. "You've been gone for days! How did things go with Chase?"_

_Guan looked down in remorse, before finally replying, "I'm afraid we have lost our friend for good."_

_Dashi shook his head. "That's too bad. But hey, the funniest thing happened to me yesterday-this little guy comes along telling me he's from the future, and that he needed another puzzle box because Wuya got out. Sounds crazy, right?"_

_"How did he even get here?"  
_

_Dashi shrugged. "I dunno...probably used the Sands of Time."_

_"I thought the Sands of Time was hidden."_

_"Well, it must have finally revealed itself in whatever time he's from-" Dashi froze. Suddenly, it hit him. "Which means..."_

_"What does it mean?"_

_"If we traveled to the future, we could find the Sands of Time and use it to go back and stop Chase."_

_"But how will we know how far to go?"_

_"See, I designed my Shen Gong Wu to reveal themselves whenever a threat is looming. Now that Wuya's captured, there won't really be the need for them. But, if what this kid says is true, and Wuya somehow escapes from her puzzle box, then the Shen Gong Wu will start revealing themselves again. So, we freeze ourselves, wait until Wuya is set free, and the vibrations released from the puzzle box will be powerful enough to break us out of our ice. After that, we just wait around until the Sands of Time is revealed, and then, we go after it."_

_"That plan is brilliant! I can see why Master Sashimi appointed you Grand Master."_

_"Sashimi promoted me to Xiaolin Dragon-I appointed myself Grand Master."_

_And so, the two put their plan into action, freezing themselves somewhere in the middle of a vast mountain range._

_"You ready?" Dashi turned to Guan, who responded with a nod. "Here goes..." The monk pulled a blue orb out of his shirt. "You like this? I call it my Orb of Tornami-just invented it yesterday," He grinned to himself in satisfaction before raising it above their heads. "Orb of Tornami, ice!"_

_One of the many perks to being a Xiaolin Dragon was the ability to manipulate all of the elements-water, wind, earth, fire, and wood-though the user's core element would still remain their strongest. Dashi used this newfound power to freeze the water that shot out of the orb, encasing both of them in large chunks of ice. _

_The orb fell to the ground and rolled down the side of the mountain. Once it reached the bottom, it lit up in a bright radiance, and it shot off in the opposite direction, landing somewhere on the other side of the world._

_Approximately 1500 years later, a teenage boy sat in his basement working out plans for world conquest._

_"I want to rule the whole world!" he exclaimed. "All of it! Not some of it-not just Iceland, or Fiji-I wanna rule the whole world!"_

_"Pardon me, sir," one of his robots interrupted._

_"What?!" he snapped. "Can't you see I'm on an evil rant here?"_

_"Yes, sir, but your father sent you a gift from Hong Kong." The robot handed him what appeared to be some kind of wooden box._

_The boy examined the box carefully. "Oh, a puzzle box," Curious, he opened the box to see what was inside. "And my prize is...a mask?" The boy scanned his eyes over the ancient Chinese mask before shrugging and tossing the box, still open, into the confines of his lair. "Lame! Alright, back to world conquest! My favorite pastime."_

_The boy genius continued on with his ideas for world conquest, but he was too focused on his work to notice the purple fumes leaking out of the box. Before he knew it, he was suddenly face to face with an evil spirit._

_"Agh!" he shrieked. "Spooky ghost lady!" He turned to his robots, directing a shaky hand towards the ghost. "Attack!"_

_The robots began firing at the ghost relentlessly, but nothing seemed to faze her. The boy stood back, his mouth gaping in disbelief._

_"Plans for world conquest?" The ghost chuckled. "My dear boy, we have much in common. What is your name?" _

_"Jack Spicer..." he replied shakily. "Who are you...? WHAT are you?!"_

_"Me?" The spirit hovered over the boy, grinning deviously. "I'm your new best friend."_

_Off in the distance, a large shattering sound could be heard._

_"Ahh..." Dashi stretched his arms, yawning. "How long do you think it's been?"_

_"I don't know," Guan replied. "Perhaps 10, maybe 20 years?"_

_"Nah, I'd say it's been at least a hundred. Now all we gotta do is kick back until the Sands of Time reveals itself."_

_"'Kick back'?" Guan frowned in disapproval. "But there is so much training to be done!"_

_"Please, I'm already a Xiaolin Dragon," The monk sat down and reclined against the mountain, resting his hands behind his head. "You wanna train? Go right ahead..." He yawned, rolling over on his side._

_Guan narrowed his eyes. He couldn't believe how lazy his fellow monk could be, even if he was the Grand Master. "Very well..." He let out a deep sigh before venturing off somewhere._

_Months later, on a warm summer evening, Dashi awoke from a nap with the strangest feeling inside. "Guan!" he exclaimed. "Come quick!"_

_Said monk rushed out of the small hut that they had been living in. "What is it?" he questioned._

_"I think the Sands of Time just revealed themselves; I'm sensing them somewhere over in Egypt."_

_"Egypt? Well, we must get going, then."_

_The two set off on a journey to Egypt to search for their Shen Gong Wu. When they arrived, they realized that they weren't the only ones searching for the Shen Gong Wu._

_"Guess we're a little late," Dashi commented. "It looks like they're in the middle of a Xiaolin Showdown."_

_The two ducked behind a large slab of rock and watched as four warriors, two young and two old, battled for the wu. The competition came very close, but at the last second, the old monk whipped out the Thorn of Thunderbolt, sending the two red-headed competitors spiraling to the ground and securing his victory. A flash lit up the room, and everything was returned to normal._

_Dashi examined the face of the winner, and a grin spread across his face. "Hey, what do you know? It's that kid from the future! Well, present now."_

_"The young monk is a fine competitor," Guan commented._

_"Now all we gotta do is get in there and snag the wu."_

_Suddenly, the old monk spoke. "I must now return to the future, where I will hide the Sands of Time, never to be found again."_

_"Wait...what?"_

_Before Dashi had time to react, the old monk activated the Shen Gong Wu, and just like that, he vanished._

_The two warriors froze, their expressions blank._

_Guan turned to Dashi and narrowed his eyes. "Way to go, 'Grand Master'. Are there any other brilliant plans you would like to share?"_

_Dashi chuckled nervously. Soon, his laughter slowly faded, and his expression morphed into a glare. "Don't even say it."_

"...and, uh, that's kinda how we ended up here."

The monks stared wide eyed at the Grand Master, their mouths agape.

Raimundo was the first to speak. "Whoa, everything makes sense now! And that explains how Guan survived after all those years too! I always thought he was just some all-powerful immortal being or something."

"Yeah," Dashi let out a sigh of relief. "Now that we finally got that out of the way, what do you say we start our training bright and early tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

And so, the monks kicked back for the rest of the day, preparing themselves for the long journey ahead.


End file.
